


The Sky Between Us, And The Road Ahead

by cinnappo, dreaminginside



Category: Super Junior
Genre: And usually has a good lead in so if you so choose to skip it, Fantasy-ish au, M/M, Minor Character Death, Most of the graphic violence is surrounding the minor character death, Past Abuse, Past Torture, fictional religion, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 14:49:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 214,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9612425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinnappo/pseuds/cinnappo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreaminginside/pseuds/dreaminginside
Summary: Sungmin and Jongwoon live in a secluded town built on the foundation of their religion. They know only of the world they were raised in -- eternal darkness, save for the light from their stars of the blessing of their god, Luzo. The two friends lead simple lives, a fisherman and a time keeper respectively, living in a peaceful quietness that their home provides.However, things change when two people literally fall from the sky into their sacred river. Sungmin and Jongwoon find their lives thrown into chaos when they rescue the two strange men from the river, their tales of another world above their own prompting a series of events neither of them had seen coming for miles.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in 2011, this was our entry for the 2011 National Novel Writing Month challenge. While we didn't finish by the end of November, we did have our 50k, and we finished in about 6 months. Crossposting from our livejournal because it felt appropriate; I can't believe it's been almost 5 years since we finished writing. 
> 
> Little to no additional editing has been done, so you can enjoy the work as it was originally published. The only thing missing is the link to our unofficial soundtrack, as many of the youtube links are broken.
> 
> Enjoy.

It’s a measure of a ways off until the hour of sleep, but many turns past the time of waking when Sungmin reels his line in, checking both ways past the river before settling his feet in the cool water, sighing and paying no heed to the bucket laid out with fish beside him, silence reigning supreme as the rushing water ripples around his legs.

The stars are dim today, he notes, golden light barely holding enough strength to discolor the water’s reflection, weakly dotting the sky and gracing them with their light. It’s an omen if he’s ever seen one, but the priests have called for nothing of the sort, so he shrugs it off, lightly kicking his feet back and forth.

“Hey, what are you doing with your feet in the sacred water? That’s grounds for a lashing.” A voice booms clear over the tranquil silence, and Sungmin nearly jumps out of his skin, he was sure there had been no one there just a moment before. His lips curl in a frown when he sees who it is, pulling his feet out to sit cross legged on the rock.

"Like you've never done it before, Jongwoon," he bites back teasingly, leaning back on his arms. He eyes the basin the other has in his hands. "Being punished with fetching duty again? What'd you do this time?"

Jongwoon rolls his eyes, setting the clay basin down next to Sungmin's fishing rod before plopping down on the stone bank next to him. "It's like they always know when I ask Jongjin to trade the sleeping hour chime with the waking hour chime. I would much rather stay up late than get up early."

Sungmin represses a chuckle, reaching for the rod and casting the line back out into the river. "It's not like you have a choice either way. Everyone has to get up at waking hour, anyway, so what's the big deal?"

“Well what’s wrong with breaking a little tradition? Is it so wrong to want to sleep in for once in my life?” Jongwoon huffs, eyeing the still flopping fish out of the corners of his eye, running a finger along the ripples of the water. “A little chaos outside structure never hurt anyone.”

“Now _that’s_ the kind of talk that’ll earn you a lashing, my friend,” Sungmin laughs, pushing Jongwoon lightly on the shoulder, watching the line catch the light of the stars and disappear into the river’s murky depths, and he estimates how many more fish he can get before Jongwoon refills the clock and the sleep hour chimes. “Even you aren’t so foolish to say something like that around anyone else.”

“Is that a challenge?” Jongwoon grins, and Sungmin amazes that he can be older than him, Jongwoon never seems to be anything but laid back and carefree. Sungmin envies him for being able to do so, watching fingers skim across the water’s edge.

Sungmin says nothing in reply, just sits in the quiet company of his time keeper friend. They've known each other for much too long to worry about constantly filling the silence. Instead he fiddles with the line, which has lost a little of its slack in the current. The fish in the bucket on his either side are few -- another omen. He hasn't been able to catch many lately, and he wonders if they're being punished by Luzo. 

He really hopes not.

An elbow nudges him and he looks over to meet Jongwoon's contemplative face. "Agate for your thoughts?"

“I think I’d need a whole month’s pay for the advice you offer,” Sungmin teases lightly, smiling over at Jongwoon even as his brow furrows lightly, thinking on what has caused his contemplation in the first place. “It’s these omens, does no one else see them? The fish are scarcer, the crops less plentiful, the stars don’t shine as bright. Something’s going to happen, soon, Jongwoon.”

Jongwoon stares at the ripping water, fingers playing along the ripples and frowning thoughtfully. He settles for sighing with resignation, leaning back on his palms, back resting against the other side of Sungmin’s rock. 

“The priests haven’t said anything about omens, but I trust those old bats about as far as I can throw them,” Jongwoon grins, leaning his head back so the his shaggy bangs fall out of his eyes, sparkling as they make contact with Sungmin’s. “I trust your judgement a hell of a lot more, Min. What do _you_ think is going to happen?”

"I... don't know," Sungmin replies, looking back up at the stars in the inky darkness. "But whatever does happen, I hardly think it can be any good." 

"You worry too much," Jongwoon chortles, rising to his feet and reaching for the basin. 

"Yeah, well, maybe you don't worry enough," Sungmin mutters as Jongwoon dips the basin in the river. Jongwoon busts out laughing and moves as if he's going to dump the water over Sungmin's head. The younger man starts laughing too as he raises his arms in mock defense. "You are just a glutton for punishment, aren't you?"

Jongwoon merely brushes the comment away with an airy wave of his arm as he turns to head back to the plaza where the clock stands. As he walks away, he notices something out of the corner of his eye and stops. "Oh, Min, your line is taut."

“It is?” Sungmin’s gaze abruptly changes to that of the water, looking for the hint of a scale in its depths, the struggle of a fish caught on his line. He frowns as he sees neither, slowly reeling it in to reveal a necklace, a coin of sorts by its shape, a sizable hole cut in its center to which the hook comes through.

“What is it?” Jongwoon sets the basin down, stepping quickly to Sungmin’s side, and examining the object with a high level of interest, reaching a hand out for it before Sungmin snatches it away, feeling something strange in the pit of his stomach as he stares at it, strange runes etched around the edges. “Come on, Min, let me see.”

“This isn't anything from here though, no one uses these types of symbols, what are they?” The stars shine bright off the necklace, playing with the hues of the metal and bouncing off the cavern’s walls, river continuing to flow. “Where do you think it came from?”

It takes a little pestering for Sungmin to relinquish the necklace to Jongwoon, who holds it up to the light. "It looks like copper. But why would someone waste it like this?" he murmurs, totally ignoring Sungmin's question. "Surely none of the smithies would have made this. They know copper is only to be used in tools because of how scarce it is."

That bad feeling in Sungmin's gut is beginning to grow, especially when he hears a strange noise from somewhere upstream. It's almost like a crackling noise, and he squints into the darkness, trying to discern it. His heart does an awful somersault in his chest as he realizes something. "Jongwoon, look," he whispers, horrified as he tugs on the elder's sleeve to bring his attention from the coin. "The stars."

Jongwoon looks up and nearly feels his heart stop. The stars, which were dim today to begin with, have nearly flickered out entirely. "Heavens," he breathes, following Sungmin's gaze upstream to the Forbidden Land. Everyone knows that they are not allowed to follow the sacred river to its source -- it is a gift directly from Luzo himself, and they are not to question that gift, lest they have it taken from them. But from up the river, a light much brighter than the stars filters through, faint at first and then growing. And then the ground beneath them shakes.

“What’s happening?” Sungmin whispers, watching as the light, blinding as the stars and filtering down from upstream, and he can swear he sees dark shadows falling into the sacred river, swallowed up by it’s current. There’s a horrifying moment where he can swear he sees movement, and he thinks it may be the very fist of Heaven come upon them. “Jongwoon, did you see that?”

Jongwoon is frozen on the ground, eyes wide as saucers and eyes focused on the light, gold like the rays of heaven and shining through the sky, looking as if Heaven itself were falling. Which, Sungmin thinks, it very well might be.

The stars are ominously dark, disappeared and Sungmin thinks he may see their remnants floating along with the stream, dark and foreboding as Sungmin stares at them, a sudden break in the water, a trace of brown among the murky blackness, added traces of gold.

"Heaven have mercy," Sungmin gasps, snapping out of the trance that the heavenly light has put him in, and in a split second he tosses his fishing rod aside and has torn off his vest.

"What are you _doing_?!" Jongwoon snaps just as the undershirt comes off.

"Jongwoon, it's a _person!_ " is the only answer the older man gets before Sungmin dives into the murky depths. Jongwoon feels his heart stop -- Sungmin is _swimming_ in the _sacred water_ and with the stars completely blacked out the water looks like _nothing_ and what if it really _is_ a person and they fell from the heavens and --

"H..help!" a voice splutters.

Jongwoon snaps out of his momentary stupor to see a hand gripping onto the rock Sungmin had been previously sitting on, a flash of red bobbing up and down in the water, and he thinks he must be seeing things, there’s no way this can be happening to him, he goes to service every week, he’s always done as the elders told him, there’s no reason for Luzo to have sent demons from above for him, and Sungmin is already breaking the highest rule and _what does he do-_

“Please, help me!” A watery voice chokes out again, and Jongwoon gets a better look, seeing not a demon but a _man_ , eyes wide with fear and gripping what surface he can with white knuckles, looking pleadingly at Jongwoon.

He slips just as Jongwoon reaches for his arm, grasping the crook of his elbow with all the strength he has, yanking the man up onto the embankment and watching him with wide eyes, wondering what on Earth has just happened.

The man pulls himself to his hands and knees, violently coughing up water from his lungs. He heaves, gulping for air and Jongwoon just sort of stares and wonders what the possessed him to pull the stranger from the water. He looks like a man but he fell from the _sky_. Maybe he's a fallen angel, Jongwoon ponders as the man finally seems to catch his breath. Or a demon in disguise.

The man looks up to catch Jongwoon's gaze and he can't help but shudder -- there's a wild look in his eye and honestly, it frightens him. The heavenly light catches on the necklace in Jongwoon's hand and the man's eyes grow impossibly wider. "Where'd you get that? Where is Henry?" he wheezes, still shaken from nearly drowning. 

Who this 'Henry' is, Jongwoon doesn't know, but suddenly he remembers that he has someone he's supposed to be more worried about and _shit, Sungmin still hasn't surfaced yet_. His mind is whirling, and too much is happening all at once. His eyes trail over the surface of the water and he finds it hard to swallow past the lump in his throat.

His heart has nearly stopped completely when Sungmin finally surfaces, hair plastered to his face and attempting to drag himself up onto the embankment, arm wrapped tight around another man’s waist. Jongwoon backs up instinctively, still keeping a wary eye on the other man, biting his lip as he wonders what he should do.

“Stop gawking and help me, Jongwoon, I can’t pull him up by myself!” Sungmin chokes out, spitting some water from his mouth and getting a leg up onto the rock, arm shifting securely around the man in his arms, unconscious by the looks of it.

“Henry!”

Before Jongwoon can even blink the first man is on his feet, eyes wide and worried, helping Sungmin pull the man, Henry, he supposes, from the water. Jongwoon amazes at how calm Sungmin can be, it seems like their very world is ending around them and he’s still being a good samaritan. The thought nearly makes him snort, and helps him regain some sense of normality.

Henry's friend is close to sobbing as Sungmin pumps the boy's chest in a way he has only seen done once before, when Jongjin fell into the bathing springs many years ago. The time keeper father had gone to fetch the water for the clock and left the boy alone. Sungmin had forgotten all about the incident until now, and he can't even begin to fathom how remembers something that he had witnessed in passing so long ago. But he isn't complaining: human or not, Sungmin would rather be scolded for breaking one of the highest laws than passively let Luzo's most precious gift -- the gift of life -- slip away.

"Breathe, come on," he mutters, hoping beyond hope that this works. Finally, after what seems like hours but really is only a few moments, the boy called Henry coughs up water and takes a heaving, shuddering gasp. The other man shoulders Sungmin out of the way and throws himself on Henry's chest, sobbing heavily now and gripping his hand tightly. Sungmin pants heavily himself, kneeling on the stone outcrop, too relieved to see the boy alive to worry about how rude his friend was. 

Jongwoon is awed at his best friend -- awed that he had to do the courage to something so incredibly taboo -- but he can't help but worry about the consequences of those actions. "What have you done, Min?" he murmurs, more to himself. "Have you cursed us all?"

“I don’t care Jongwoon, I couldn’t just let him die!” Sungmin snaps, hands on his knees as his breath evens out, glancing over at the two men on the edge of the embankment, eyes still filled with concern. “If that’s what damns me then so be it, I won’t trade their lives for any kind of Heaven.”

“Thank you,” Henry says in a small voice, rough from coughing and trying desperately to soothe the sobbing man crying into his chest, eyes still drowsy and soaked to the bone. “You didn’t have to save me, but you did. Truly, thank you.”

Jongwoon bites his lip guiltily, he knows that no human’s life is worth less than an ideology, but it’s been ingrained in him since he was young that there are rules for a reason, it’s hard to even imagine breaking any of their rules, set in stone as they are. But he glances at the sobbing man, at the one who nearly drowned, and thinks maybe there are some things that are more important.

The river runs black as night and silence reigns, Henry’s choking subsiding to small coughs and he glances at his saviors, eyes sliding from Sungmin, to the necklace still dangling from Jongwoon’s hand, eyes going impossibly wide, hands groping at his neck.

Jongwoon catches this, and tosses the necklace like it was suddenly molten copper. It lands with a tiny clatter at near the two strangers and Henry scrambles to snatch it up before it slides back into the water. He clutches it to his chest, along with his still-crying friend who hasn't stopped clinging to him since he regained consciousness. A tense silence falls upon them, broken only by the occasional hiccup between the sobs of the crying one. 

Sungmin rises shakily to his feet and runs a hand through his dripping hair. A powerful force sweeps down through from direction of the heavenly light, which has dimmed some, making him shiver. It chills him to the bone, and so he goes to put his shirt and vest back on, when he stops. The two from the sky, they must be cold too, he thinks. And so he picks up the clothes from where he had cast them aside and approaches them.

Henry looks up at him, wide-eyed and unsure of what to say. Sungmin merely offers a small smile and hands out the shirt and vest. "Here," he says, "put these on. You're cold, right? These are dry." The one whose name he doesn't know finally stops crying and looks up, pale face swollen from the tears and eyes shimmering with emotion. 

"A-are you sure? You don't have a shirt..." he whispers meekly. 

Sungmin shakes his outstretched hand, emphasizing the clothes. "Really, take them. I have more at home."

Henry looks suspicious for a moment for smiling slightly and nodding gratefully, re fastening the necklace around his neck and accepting the clothes, clutching the vest around his shoulders, handing the shirt to the smaller man, rubbing his back lightly and speaking softly.

“Look, I’m okay, Ryeowook, stop crying,” He says lightly pushing the other man on the shoulder slightly, smiling warmly. Sungmin wonders at how bright spirited he can be when he was previously just inches form death, and decides that even if they are devils, there’s no way they can be _that_ bad. After all, how can devils offer genuine comfort and thanks? “We’ll be okay, pull yourself together.”

Ryeowook nods, wiping at his eyes furiously, shivering again despite the fresh shirt hanging on his shoulders, clutching at it like a lifeline. Jongwoon feels a stab of sympathy and shed his vest as well, walking up cautiously and draping it over the wet man’s shoulders, ignoring the coolness now seeping through his undershirt, the strange sensation of cool pressure rebounding off his face.

“Just who are you people?” He asks softly, staring at their strange attire, bright hair an anomaly from where he’s only seen black, an air about them different from what he’s ever felt before. “Are you angels? Or devils sent to damn us all and bring the stars down upon us?”

Henry blinks owlishly. "Angels? Devils?" he says incredulously. After that, he can't come up with a response, opting instead to let his mouth gape open slightly.

Ryeowook, too, is perplexed. "We're only human. It's a good thing you miners were here, though. I don't even want to think about what would have happened..." he trails off.

Jongwoon and Sungmin exchange befuddled glances. "We aren't miners," Sungmin offers slowly. "I'm a fisherman; Jongwoon is a time keeper. The miners have no business over here."

"But..." Ryeowook interjects when Jongwoon pauses. "If you aren't miners, what are you doing down here?"

"We should be asking you the same question," Jongwoon replied, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "You two fell from the _sky_ into the sacred river, bringing the stars down with you. So forgive me if I'm more than a little wary."

"The sky? But... but the ground caved in beneath us..." Henry stammers. "I'm sure of it!"

“Are you two crazy? This is the ground we’re standing on, you fell through the sky, and shattered our stars,” Jongwoon says, slightly impatient as he can’t work out what the strangers are trying to tell him, none of it adding up in accordance to what he’s always known. “Don’t you see them floating down the sacred river? How are you even alive, that was the forbidden grounds that you came from!”

“What are these stars you keep talking about? There aren’t any down here,” Henry asks curiously, cocking his head at Jongwoon’s questions, glancing at the water when it’s mentioned and light coming behind his eyes when he recognizes what they mean. “Oh, you mean the lueuror? Those aren’t stars, they’re just-”

“Stop! Get away from them, put down any weapons you may have and come quietly, demons!” There’s a shout from down river that cuts Henry off in the middle of his speech, and Ryeowook goes wide eyed, backing into the rock as a mob of people approaches, and immediately turning to Sungmin and Jongwoon, eyes narrowed.

“I thought we could trust you,” He hisses, eyes dark with betrayal. “You’re just like everyone else on the surface, nothing matters but your own personal opinions in the end, does it?”

“But, we didn’t-” Sungmin starts, confused eyes trading a look with Jongwoon as the townspeople gather around him, and he’s quickly pushed out of the way so everyone can gawk at the two men, elders and their militia at the forefront, regarding them with wary eyes.

Jongwoon feels himself being pulled back by his arms and he whirls around to come face to face with his little brother, eyes wide with worry. "Are you okay? The demons didn't hurt you, did they? Mom and Dad were worried sick when you didn't come back in time to fill the clock." His eyes can't settle, roving up and down Jongwoon as he examines him for injury. 

"What? No, who told you that?" Jongwoon gaped, surpised at how quickly what seemed like the entire town had amassed on the banks of the sacred river. He looks through the crowd to where Sungmin, too, is being scoured from head to toe by his brother and father. 

"Sungjin saw it all! He went to help bring back the fish and he saw Sungmin being dragged into the river by a demon! And he said they tried to get you too, and I was so scared, Jongwoon, I thought you were going to die!" Jongjin sounds near hysterics. Jongwoon's eyes narrow and he casts his gaze to Sungmin, who hears it all, even over the din of the people crying outrage and closing in on the poor souls pressed against the rock.

"That's _enough_!" Sungmin shouts as he shakes off his father's arm, silencing the crowd. Sungjin reels back as though he'd been slapped when Sungmin directs his angry glare his way. "Sungjin you are my brother, and I do not know if you misinterpreted or have ill-intent, but I cannot let this lie continue . These two are not demons, nor did they try to drown Jongwoon and I. I jumped in to _save_ them." 

A collective gasp runs through the crowd, and even Ryeowook and Henry seem surprised at Sungmin's outburst. Jongwoon waits with bated breath for the reaction, but everyone seems stunned into silence. Sungmin appears unwilling to say more in his own defense, so he swallows the thickness in his throat and speaks. "He could not let them die," he starts quietly. "Life is too precious to let the current sweep it away. He could not let them die in good faith."

"Possession!" a woman in the crowd crows. "They've been possessed, the both of them!"

"Slay the demons and free the children!" roars another man. The riot uproars again and someone steps forward, raising a wheat sickle as if to strike. Henry and Ryeowook flinch into each other but the strike never comes -- Sungmin, reflexes sharply trained for the life of the catch, jumps forward and catches the man by the wrist, nicking his arm in the process.

"Do you not see the lives that are in front of you?!" Sungmin argues passionately. "You should be ashamed of yourselves! Doesn't Luzo teach us that the taking of a human life is the utmost sin?"

"They aren't human, they are demons who stole the stars right out of the sky!" Sungjin retorts desperately.

“We are human though!” Henry pleads, shielding Ryeowook behind his back and eyeing the townspeople with distrust, mouth pursed in worry and looking to Sungmin pleadingly, the only person he dares to trust in the crowd. Sungmin tries to send him a reassuring gaze, but even he is doubtful of how much he can do for the two, especially when his father, the Elder, steps forward.

“Silence,” He shouts out, voice thundering over the mass chaos, arms raised and staff set still on the ground. “We will give these men a chance to explain themselves, perhaps they really are deities of Luzo.”

“We don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ryeowook says softly, poking his head over Henry’s shoulder, biting his lip and gazing at the large hole in the ‘sky’ upriver, clutching Jongwoon’s vest tighter around himself and pressing hard against the rock, still glaring at the townspeople. “We come from the surface, there was a cave in of some kind, the ground below us just collapsed and we ended up here, Henry nearly drowned in the river until we were saved by those men.”

He points hesitantly to Jongwoon and Sungmin, eyes still untrusting but filled with some small gratitude, and Sungmin smiles encouragingly back, nudging Jongwoon to do the same, even as Sungjin stares on, horrified.

“Sungmin, how can you be kind to them? They’re outsiders!” He hisses, glaring at the two men on the ground and looking to their father, lip curled back and eyes shadowed in fear. “Father, you can’t believe this, there is no ‘surface’, they are clearly disgraced angels that Luzo banished from Heaven to damn us all!”

The Elder sends his younger son a sharp gaze. "Not another word out of you," he hisses, tone laced with finality, and Sungjin wisely keeps his mouth shut. The crowd parts when the respected man moves forward to kneel before Henry and Ryeowook. He meets their gazes, one before the other, and firmly grasps Henry by the chin. 

"Tell me," he says, quirking an eyebrow at the nervous but indignant fire that flashes in Ryeowook's eyes as Henry tenses. "Your garb is different from what we have. Your hair, lighter; your eyes, clearly unblessed by the light that Luzo has bestowed upon us." He gestures to the stars, which have begun to flicker back into a shadow of their former brightness now that the heavenly light has dimmed. "Tell me why that is."

"We already told you," Henry insists. "We fell through the ground and the river carried us here. Our hair is lighter because of the sun, and eyes are used to _it_ , not the darkness or the lueuror. And we have no idea who this Luzo you keep speaking of is."

Sungmin resists the urge to wince when his father's lips settle into a thin line, his eyes narrowing and a vein in his temple throbbing. He knows that look; despite the outward calmness he knows that Henry has sealed his own doom. The Elder rises to his feet, judgement clear on his face. 

"Heaven sent or hell bent, no person nor beast denies the glory of Luzo," he says, his voice dangerously low. "Strangers who have fallen from the sky, your humanity is no longer in question. It matters not; you are not welcome here. We will send you back from where you came."

A tense silence follows the verdict of the Elder, the people unsure of what to do. Jongwoon isn't sure he likes the hanging implication of what his best friend's father means, because if what these strange beings say is true, then there _is_ no way for them to return. Ryeowook seems to realize this as well. "Sir..." he speaks meekly, "I mean no disrespect but... I don't think we can go back the way we came."

The Elder lowers his gaze to the two men at his feet. "Indeed not," he says. "Though you have misunderstood. There are two directions in this land -- in, and out -- and both are by the grace of Luzo. One way in," he waves an arm to a mother in the crowd cradling a newborn baby to her chest, "one way out." 

“Father, you can’t do that to them!” Sungmin exclaims, stepping towards his father and swinging his arm out to gesture at the still cowering men, blood running down his sleeve. Jongwoon eyes his friend worriedly stepping next to him to make sure he doesn’t do anything too rash, knowing how Sungmin gets when he’s dedicated himself to a cause. “This is human life, you can’t kill them simply for not knowing our beliefs, each person is entitled to their own.”

“You watch your mouth, Sungmin,” The Elder warns, eyeing his son harshly and seeing past him to the other men, sparing a glance at Jongwoon as well. “That’s the talk of a heathen, if you don’t step out of the way I’ll be forced to punish you, blood or not.”

“I refuse to let you kill two innocent men, Father,” Sungmin continues, stubbornly ignoring any warning glances sent his way. He refuses to let the men he just risked his own life to save die, especially when they send him equally hopeless looks, almost looking resigned to their fates. “Punish me if you will, I refuse to see this injustice carried out.”

Sungmin’s father regards them with shaded eyes before motioning to the men with spears in their hands, pointing to Henry and Ryeowook on the ground.

“Take them away, I need to talk to my son and the eldest of the time keeper’s children without their presence.” The guards nod sagely and pushes past Sungmin to haul the two men to their feet, yanking them down river, and Sungmin notes it’s in the direction of the geyser, looking at his father incredulously.

"You wouldn't," he breathes. "Father, please, that's cruel!" Sungmin is aware the tone of desperacy, the begging in his voice, but in all the years he has lived, he has always looked to his father as an exemplar role model. Now he feels like he's been lied to, like wool has been pulled over his eyes his entire life.

"It is the will of Luzo. Heathens who cannot be saved in this life must return to his side in order to be born again." The Elder turns from where his gaze had followed the guards and their captives out, to his son, whose eyes are burning with passion and betrayal. "Though I never thought I would see the day where I have to brand my own son as such. And as for you, Jongwoon, I expected better of you. Both of you will be punished for aiding the strangers and for encouraging heresy; ten lashes each. I should hope that will teach you both a lesson in faith."

Jongwoon bows his head guiltily. His family stares at him from the crowd, Jongjin worried for his older brother and his parents embarrassed for the shame he has brought upon their family. And yet, Jongwoon doesn't feel guilty for that -- instead, he is more ashamed of himself for letting his best friend down by keeping his silence. What a coward, he thinks bitterly of himself.

Sungmin, however, hasn't finished yet. "I was taught that the will of Luzo was to promote peace and prosperity through our faith in him, not through _murdering_ innocents who hadn't the blessing of being taught of his grace."

The sound of a hard slap echoes over the silent crowd and Sungmin clenches his fists to keep from reaching up to touch the stinging cheek. Instead he keeps it turned, refusing to meet his father's gaze. "I will not have you talk to me that way, young man," the Elder snaps. "Perhaps one lash for every year Luzo has given you will remind you of what you have been and have not been taught."

Sungmin’s eyes narrow and he turns his head to face forward but still doesn’t meet his father’s eyes, glancing over at Jongwoon and trying to apologize with his eyes for dragging his friend into this, but he knows that Jongwoon understands when he smiles nervously back, apologizing softly under his breath for not saying anything in his defense.

“It’s okay, I wouldn’t want you to have any more lashes than already demanded,” Sungmin whispers softly as they’re pushed along downriver to the town square, right in front of the giant clock that keeps the time, large water tubes connected to it keeping it ticking. Seeing Jongwoon tense, he teases him lightly in an attempt at helping the mood, even though he sees the whip being handed to his father out of the corner of his eye. “And you’re practically an old man in comparison, that many lashes would kill you.”

“Silence,” Sungmin’s father reprimands, voice hard and laced with disappointment as he looks at his son, distaste on his tongue as he wonders where he could have gone wrong in raising him. It does not do for the son of the highest Elder to denounce their God, even if it is in the defence of others. “You shall take your punishment quietly, lest more lashes be added, and let this punishment remind you of that which created you, and a warning to all others thinking of denouncing the existence of our Creator.”

Jongwoon gulps thickly as he sees Sungmin kneel down, pressing his forehead to the floor. The hand holding his arms behind his back tightens menacingly as Jongwoon squirms. He cringes as the Elder raises the whip as high as he can and brings it down, leaving an angry red mark down Sungmin's back.

_Crack_. Sungmin presses his forehead a little harder against the floor but does not make a sound. _Crack._ The second strike lands nearly in the same spot and it burns twice as much as the first time. _Crack._ And the third lands crossways, searing pain stinging fresh skin. _Crack. Crack. Crack._ By the time the eighth strike comes down the skin is chafed and bruised and starting to peel, bleeding in some spots. By the twelfth strike, he is biting his lip so hard it bleeds in order to keep quiet. Ten more to go.

Jongwoon watches his friend being beaten with a heavy heart. He can see a bit of Sungmin's face and how it's contorted in pain, and it's unbearable to watch. His back is bleeding profusely now and he can hardly see an inch of untouched skin. However, when he turns his head away and closes his eyes, willing back the bile rising in his throat, it is jerked back in Sungmin's direction by the same man who grips his wrists. "Watch," he growls. "Watch, learn, and repent."

By the twentieth strike, Sungmin's vision is swimming from the pain and the loss of blood. _Crack_. The twenty-first strike comes down and he clenches his eyes shut, forcing a deep breath as he prepares for that final lashing. The Elder only hesistates for a split-second, so slight it went unnoticed, before bringing down the whip with one last powerful blow. Sungmin finally whimpers, the first noise to escape his mouth as he slumps to his side, the pain finally overcoming him.

“Sungmin!” Jongwoon exclaims before he can stop himself, stopping a wince in the back of his throat as he’s cuffed on the back of the head, shoved forward to rest next to Sungmin, unconscious in front of the clock and blood tinging the edge of his lips, back a bloody mess. Jongwoon steels himself and motions for the Elder to pause before beginning his lashes, stopping to shed his shirt before glaring defiantly.

“I should have the same punishment standards as he did, we committed the same crime,” He says softly, trying to keep the tinge of sarcasm from his voice and kneeling on the ground, resting his forehead against it and taking a deep breath, readying himself for the first strike.

“Very well,” Sungmin’s father says, hardly sparing a glance at his son on the ground before moving to Jongwoon, readying the whip again and glancing at Jongwoon’s bare back, a tinge of respect for taking more punishment than he was actually given, thinking this boy may be redeemable yet. “Prepare for your punishment then.”

The first lash hurts just as much as Jongwoon expects it to, but it’s the ones afterwards that really drive it home. He bites into the dirt to keep from making a sound, glancing at Sungmin from the corner of his eye. He reminds himself to take it for once in his life, the quicker that it’s over the faster he can get Sungmin some medical help; the welts on his back are likely to fester infection if not tended to. It’s that that keeps his vocal chords silent, even as the last lashes begin to draw blood, and he feels it run hot down his bare skin.

Then as quickly as it began, it's over. Jongwoon pants heavily, trying to focus on everything, anything but the pain in his back. The Elder lowers his whip and hands it back to it's owner. "Let this be a lesson to all," he annouces to the crowd. Then he turns to Jongwoon, who he is surprised to see is still conscious. "You may go have your wounds treated; the healer knows the limits to treating the punished. My son will accompany you when he comes to."

"Sir," Jongwoon pleads softly, face still pressed to the ground, "please, let me take him. He'll get terribly ill if the lashes become infected." 

An unreadable expression crosses the Elder's face but it betrays little of what he is thinking. "If you insist. If you have the strength to carry him, you may. However," and here he raises his voice back to the crowd. "No one is to help you. Understood?"

“Yes, sir.” Jongwoon grits out, pulling himself off the ground and wincing lightly as he makes his way over to Sungmin, touching his shoulder and shaking him gently, careful not to aggravate any of his already bleeding wounds, voice soft in his ear. “Min, can you hear me? I have to carry you to the infirmary, can you move at all?”

He gets nothing but a small, pained sigh in reply and frowns, this certainly makes things harder. If he carries Sungmin in his arms, he risks opening the cuts on his friend’s back even more, which leaves the option of piggyback, at the risk of aggravating his own. 

It doesn’t take him long to make his decision.

He grimaces as he kneels on the ground, pulling Sungmin up to get an arm over his shoulder, nudging a hip over his waist until he has Sungmin mostly on his back, feeling an intense burn all along his skin as Sungmin’s chest meets his abused back, feeling the man stir lightly against the back of his neck, consciousness slowly beginning to stream back.

“Hang in there, Min,” He murmurs, ignoring the Elder’s eye on him and simply makes his way, slowly, away from the clock, every step burning more than each of his lashes, but he takes comfort in the fact that at least Sungmin doesn’t have to endure any more pain, his friend having to live through too much of it on a daily basis.

He can't imagine how much pressure there must be on Sungmin, the oldest son of the highest Elder. He thought he had it bad; being a time keeper is such a vital job to their community that his father was always pretty strict growing up. But he never lashed him, not once. Scolded, grounded, and spanked, sure, but he never used the whip. The fact that Sungmin's father could beat him to unconsciousness without batting an eye... it's unsettling. 

By the time Jongwoon gets to the infirmary, a small building tucked away in the corner of the town, his legs are shaking with the strain of supporting his and Sungmin's weight. The daughter of the healer, sitting behind the counter, jumps up at the sight of them. "Oh my..." she gasps. "What happened?"

Jongwoon gives a wry smile. Of course she would be the only person who hadn't gone running when the town began to riot. "Long story. Where's the healer?"

"He's in the back studying some new material. I-I'll go and get him," she replies shakily, pushing back her stool and scurrying to the back room. "Father," Jongwoon hears her voice trailing from down the hall. "Father, come quickly."

“What is it?” The healer steps through the curtain in time to see Jongwoon’s legs buckle beneath, landing hard on his knees and panting with the effort of keeping Sungmin on his back, trying desperately not to hit the floor. “Oh heavens, Jongwoon, what-”

“We are to be given the standard treatment to those who are punished, nothing more,” Jongwoon pants out, black closing in on the edges of his vision, barely seeing the healer’s daughter rush to the cabinet for the medicinal herbs, feeling Sungmin being eased off his aching back slowly. “By orders of the Elder, you know what to do.”

The healer’s eyes are sad as Jongwoon finally collapses entirely on the floor, brow creased in pain and back looking aggravated. It’s nothing to the bloody mess that resides on Sungmin’s though, and he shakes his head. He never was one to agree with such drastic punishment, no matter what act the two could have committed. Though he supposes he will hear the whole story sooner rather than later, and it’s always best to wait before passing judgement.

Sungmin stirs lightly when laid down on the cot, but otherwise gives no reaction. He begins by wiping the the wounds gently, attempting to sort through the drying blood to get to the actual wounds, and winces as he knows that even when the memory fades, these scars will never fade.

"Be a dear and bring me the ointment, would you?" the healer says to his daughter. "The bandages too, the wide ones." 

The girl's eyes go wide. "But Father, shouldn't we suture them? Those gashes will never heal properly if we don't--"

"Unfortunately, that's the point," the healer replies softly as he rinses his cloth in cool water before moving over to pick Jongwoon off the floor and put him on the cot next to Sungmin. "It's part of the punishment."

A horrified look crosses her face. "But what could they have done to warrant such a lashing?" She crosses the room, ointment and bandages in hand. Her eyes are fixated at the ugly marks on Sungmin's back as she hands her father his materials.

"That's something that has always been beyond me, dear," her father replies, opening the ceramic jar and applying the ointment gently to the damaged skin. Sungmin flinches unconsciously from the sting of the cold and the healer's daughter moves to hold his shoulders down. "But I suppose it is necessary to keep the order. I just hope I never have to see something this bad on someone this young ever again."

Sungmin’s eyes snap open the moment that the ointment touches his back and he gasps at the sting, the healer’s daughter’s hands barely keeping him on the table, hissing lightly as the healer’s hands attend to each of his wounds, only barely cleaning them before moving onto the next, work slow.

“Jongwoon?” He chokes out, throat feeling suddenly parched, flinching again as a hand brushes a particularly deep lash wound, consciousness coming slowly as he glances to his friend lying beside him, eyes still closed and brows creased. “Is he okay?”

“He’ll be fine, but it’s thanks to him that your wounds aren’t half as bad as they could be,” The healer says softly, watching the muscles in Sungmin’s back tense as he readies the bandages, wishing he could do more for the young man. “If it wasn’t for him sacrificing his own wounds to carry you here, your scarring could have been even worse.”

Sungmin’s eyes narrow and he weakly reaches out to shove Jongwoon’s arm, trying to nudge him awake. 

“You idiot,” He murmurs, feeling the blackness close back in again as the rough bandages rub over his wounds, already beginning to itch as the healing begins. “It’s all my fault we’re here in the first place, why did you have to make things harder on yourself?”

The healer smiles, glad to see that despite the situation the two friends are able to be selfless for each other. "I'll need you to sit up so I can wrap these up, can you do that?" Sungmin nods, moving to push himself up off the cot, relying heavily on the healer's guiding arms to get himself into a sitting position. "Good, now just lift your arms up..." 

His arms feel like lead, and it takes him an enormous amount of effort just to lift them high enough so that the healer can wrap the bandages around his torso, criss-crossing them over his shoulders to cover the highest welts between his shoulder blades. When he finishes, he tucks the loose end in snugly so that the bandages don't come loose, and Sungmin lets his arms drop to his sides with a forced sigh. 

"Thank you, sir," he murmurs. "Once you finish cleaning up Jongwoon, I'll make sure he gets home safely." He hopes -- it's taking a lot of blinking just to keep the blackness from closing in on his vision. But he knows the healer is not allowed to offer them beds for the night, and the last thing he wants to do is get more people in trouble.

"Nonsense," the healer scoffs, "you'll do nothing short of staying here until you regain some strength."

"But sir..." Sungmin protests. "If my fath... If the Elder comes around..."

"I will tell him you haven't come to yet. Punished or not, I still have a duty to Luzo as a healer to make sure my patients do not do themselves in from overexertion," the healer interrupts with a slight twinkle in his eye. Sungmin begins to argue but suddenly a spell of dizziness hits him and he pitches forward. The healer's daughter catches him and helps him lay back down on the cot, belly down. "Now, rest." 

Sungmin looks like he’s about to protest, but a hard look from the healer stops him before he can begin and he simply lays his head back down, sighing gently and resigning himself to the fact that he will lose this argument.

“Fine, but don’t keep us too long, Jungsu,” Sungmin says sleepily, the darkness only creeping in more with each second, pain in his back fading to a low throb as he lets his eyes slide shut, giving one last deep sigh before letting the darkness take over. “I don’t want my father to punish you if he finds out, you’ve done too much for us already.”

Jungsu smiles, waving off Sungmin’s thanks and watching him fall into a light sleep, blood splotches beginning to show slightly through the bandages already. He sighs, moving to tend to Jongwoon and getting a fresh cloth when his daughter calls him.

“Father,” she asks slowly, look on her face contemplative, glancing at Jongwoon and Sungmin on the table. “Aren’t you going to ask them what they did? Surely you’re much too kind to them, there must have been something extremely serious to have happened to warranted this punishment. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many lashes.”

"Whatever it was, it can't be anything that Luzo wouldn't forgive, so we need to forgive, as well. They've been punished enough, and clearly repented for their sins. There's no reason to cast them aside, as well." Jungsu wipes the last of the ointment from his hands before going to smoothe his daughter's hair and press a kiss to her crown. "Just promise me I won't ever see _you_ in this position, Jinri. This old man doesn't need a heart attack, okay?"

Jinri smiles fondly at her father, and then it turns sad again when he looks back at the two men on the cots. "Still... I can't help but wonder what happened. I mean, short of selling your soul to a demon, I can't think of anything that would make being beaten within an inch of your life acceptable."

Jungsu shakes his head, motioning for Jinri to help lift Jongwoon so he can wrap the bandages around his torso as well. "I don't know, my dear. I honestly don't know." He doesn't have to wrap Jongwoon as extensively as Sungmin, and when he finishes he and Jinri lay the man down on his stomach as comfortably as they can manage. Then they quietly head into the back room, allowing the two men their rest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decisions must be made -- two innocent lives are at stake.

Ryeowook has his knees up to his chest and arms draped lightly across them, forehead lying heavily on his arms and eyes shut tight, hoping beyond hope that when he opens his eyes the whole past week would have been just a dream.

But when he opens them he sees the same sight that greeted them when they had been open last, the bars above him casting more shadows in the darkness, Henry in much the same position across from him. He sighs, and feels sorry for the younger man, it is, after all, his fault they are here in the first place.

“Henry, I’m sorry-” He begins, when Henry holds up his hand and smiles a tired smile at him, and Ryeowook thinks that Henry is much too young to have to be dealing with this, and feels even worse.

“Don’t apologize, I wouldn’t have done anything different, Wook,” Henry says cheerfully, and Ryeowook marvels at the other man’s ability to look at the bright side of things, and smiles tentatively back, even as his fingers curl nervously into the edge of his shirt, the extra vest still sitting too large on his slight frame. “What’s done is done, we can’t change anything now.”

"But if I weren't being so self-centered we wouldn't be in this mess," Ryeowook murmurs, letting his head fall back onto his arms. The tears burn at the corners of his eyes and he feels, not for the first time, like crying. He hears Henry shifting before he feels his warmth press against his side, a comforting arm thrown around his shoulders.

"It wasn't like you made the ground cave in, Ryeowook," Henry consoles gently, rubbing his bicep soothingly. "And really, who would have guessed that of the things that could have happened, we run into a hostile secret society that throws us in the brig."

Ryeowook can't help the wry laugh that escapes his mouth. "Yeah, who would have guessed that. Or guessed that we would be starved and dehydrated and sentenced to execution and wonder when they're going to kill us."

Henry frowns. "Wook..."

Ryeowook stifles a sob with a shudder. "And we did nothing wrong! They asked us for the truth and we gave it to them! But damn it all, if it weren't for me and my bright idea we would still be safe at home, warm in bed and safe. But now we're going to die, _you're_ going to die and you're only nineteen and it's all my fault!"

“Ryeowook,” Henry says firmly, and Ryeowook looks up at him, eyes glassy with tears and he can’t help but think he’s sentenced Henry to an early death sentence, because surely there’s no way they’re going to get out of this mess alive. If only he hadn’t ran away from his duty, if only he hadn’t been found by Henry, If only- “Stop it, I can see you thinking. There was _nothing_ we could have done differently, and I have never let you leave by yourself anyway.”

“And have a little hope, why don’t you?” Henry squeezes Ryeowook’s arm tight in a half hug, and looks up at the lueuror above them, shining little light into their makeshift prison. “Never say it’s over until it is, we still have time left, things could turn around still.”

Ryeowook nearly starts to cry, and wonders what he would ever do without Henry next to him, keeping him grounded when his mind wanders too far into dark territory. He takes a few deep breaths before trusting himself to speak again, voice slightly less shaky than before.

“You can’t deny it is my fault though,” He says resolutely, leaning away slightly. “And for that, I am sorry.”

"I can, and I will," Henry retorts, smacking Ryeowook lightly on the back of the head. "It was my choice to come with you. So cut it out with the blame game, it's not going to do either of us any good."

Ryeowook exhales deeply, shuddering again, this time not just from the tears but from the cold. The well they were dumped into keeps leaking water occasionally from somewhere, keeping them damp and chilled to the bone. Henry sees the older man's shoulders shake and he pulls him back in, so that Ryeowook's head rests on his shoulder. "Come here, you." He hugs Ryeowook tighter, trying to share what warmth he has with his lifelong friend. "Things will get better. If not here, in this life, then the next."

Ryeowook sniffles, his cheek slightly uncomfortable against Henry's bony shoulder, but he's grateful nonetheless. Even though he still blames himself for putting Henry in this position, he has to admit that he is glad that he isn't alone. If he were, he may have actually prayed for death, for certainly that would be more merciful than suffering alone. "Henry?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you sing that lullaby you always hum? The one that your mother taught you?"

Henry merely hums his agreement, rubbing slow circles on Ryeowook’s shoulder as he begins to sing, his native language rolling off his tongue easily, a soft lullaby that his mother used to sing to him when he was young, so many years ago, before he could even walk. It brings fond memories to his mind, pushing away the darker ones, and he merely concentrates on what comfort he can have, and what he can give.

Ryeowook stops shivering as he soaks up Henry’s warmth, letting the other man’s voice wash over him and calm his nerves, voice soothing and letting him believe that things aren’t as bleak as they seem, nearly coaxing him into a light sleep.

“Thank you, Henry,” He murmurs lightly, eyes drooping more and more as Henry’s lullaby continues, hand tightening on his shoulder being the only indication that he can hear him, “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you.”

Henry only squeezes tighter, continuing to sing softly and draw his own comfort from him, and thinks it funny that Ryeowook is so grateful for his presence, when without Ryeowook, he may not have even been alive as long as he has.

“If it’s anyone who deserves thanks, it’s you, Wook,” Henry mumbles under his breath, looking fondly at his friend before starting up again, and he finds things look a bit less darker, Ryeowook breathing shallowly against his shoulder.

"Hey, you two! Quiet in there!" the guard yells, and Ryeowook is startled awake. "No one wants to hear you speaking in the devil's tongue!"

Henry wisely shuts his mouth (though he doesn't know what more they could do to him if he doesn't). Ryeowook's shoulders sag in disappointment, the little sliver of happiness snatched from him, and Henry decides come what may to keep humming quietly without words. The guard doesn't say anything more so either he doesn't hear or he doesn't care so long as Henry isn't speaking.

Ryeowook settles back against his shoulder, weak and tired, dark circles evident under his puffy eyes even in the darkness. Henry shushes him and rocks them slightly in an effort to get him to go back to sleep. It doesn't take much effort, as Ryeowook nods off rather quickly. Henry continues to hum long after that, only trailing off when he hears voices above them not directed at him.

"...are relieved now, sir. The Elder sent me so that you could go see your family. You've been on duty for three days."

"Aren't you awful young, kid? And besides, you're close to one of the heathens who helped these demons."

Henry frowns but keeps listening as the voice sneers, "My brother is not a heathen. I know he was possessed and I want to give them a piece of my mind anyway."

There's a clank of keys, presumably the guard handing them over. "Whatever. Just don't open the gate. It's not like they can climb out, but who knows what kind of tricks they're capable of."

There's retreating footsteps, and then long after they've ceased, there's a quiet laugh. "All right, Sungmin, you're clear."

"Thanks, Jongjin, I couldn't have done it without you."

“Think nothing of it, Sungmin,” Jongjin says softly, voice filtering down to Henry and Ryeowook, and Henry racks his head to think of where he’s heard that name before, _Sungmin_ , it’s on the tip of his tongue but he can’t place it. “A friend of my brother’s is a friend of mine, I can’t believe they did that to him.”

“Henry, what’s happening?” Ryeowook asks softly, eyes still so tired and looking ready to fall back asleep at any moment. Henry puts a finger to his lips and squints his eyes, trying to get a glimpse of the new people standing over their makeshift prison, lueuror doing little to help him, light barely there.

Then there’s a face leaning over the bars, and Henry has to put his hand to his chest to calm his racing heart, not prepared for the sight of something besides the rocky ceiling so suddenly. It’s when he sees him that he remembers, the man who saved him from the water and so staunchly tried to defend them from being taken, him and his friend. His eyes light in recognition, but he clutches Ryeowook closer to him nonetheless, a bit wary of trusting anyone in this place, even if he may owe them a debt.

Ryeowook clings to Henry when he feels the younger man tighten his arms around him. He knows that face, but the last he'd seen him he was being scolded by what he presumes was the man in charge. Perhaps they've sent their savior to be the one to lead them to their demise, Ryeowook thinks. Wouldn't that be ironic.

"Me neither," Sungmin agrees. "He didn't do anything, it was all my fault and he still was punished. Still..." he trails off, then turns his gaze to the men in the geyser well. "I'm sorry that we had to meet in such circumstances, and I'm sure you probably don't trust anyone right now but I've brought some food," he offers, proffering a bundle. "It's only bread, though..."

Henry feels his jaw drop and Ryeowook blinks tiredly, too exhausted to make much sense of anything. "Why are you still helping us?" Henry finally asks after regaining working use of his gaping mouth. He feels almost as if he's looking a gift horse in the mouth, but excuse him if he's more than a little wary.

Sungmin feels his face soften, and he knows Jongjin is eavesdropping from where he's keeping watch for the real guard who was sent to switch shifts. "I'm not really sure myself," he answers honestly. "I just... I find it hard to believe you really have ill-intentions toward my people. Not the way you acted when I pulled you from that river. A demon wouldn't have let himself drown."

“I tried to tell you, we aren’t demons,” Henry says softly, watching as Sungmin slips the food through the bars and down to them, detaching Ryeowook from him for a moment to go and fetch the bag, looking up at Sungmin slightly warily still. “We fell in through a cave in, we didn’t choose to come here and be treated like aliens.”

“But you have to admit your story is a bit far fetched,” Sungmin tries to reason gently, not wanting to denounce their story, but merely get to the bottom of it. He can feel Jongjin wanting to chime in behind him, but waves his hand to stop the younger man from talking. “You can’t just come in and denounce everything that makes my people who they are and expect them to be calm, even calling our stars fake.”

“They aren’t true stars though,” Ryeowook speaks up, eying Sungmin curiously from the geyser’s floor and looking to Henry for reinforcement, curling his fingers harder into his vest, confused by the act of kindness being offered to them. “Where we’re from we call them ‘lueuror’, the true stars are the ones that light our sky, above the surface.”

"I still find _that_ much hard to believe," Jongjin mutters, and Sungmin hushes him.

"While I'm truly sorry my people are shunning you away so quickly, I can see where they're coming from," Sungmin continues as if Ryeowook and Jongjin hadn't spoken. "Our stars are our livelihood, they give life to everything we have. And when you came, the stars went out."

"That's because lueuror only glows when there's no other light," Ryeowook explains. "It's a mineral. When it glows it emits the same kind of light as the sun, only less intense. But it's still able to support life, apparently, because there's so much of it here."

Jongjin frowns, turning his back from the entranceway for only a moment. "Look, I don't care what you call them, the fact of the matter is we _need_ our stars. And now they're going out every so often because the heavenly light keeps coming back. People are afraid more of you are going to come."

"That's what we keep trying to tell you," Henry sighs, exasperated. "That's _sunlight_ that's shining through where the ground caved in. And I highly doubt anyone is going to follow us, leaping into a gaping hole into darkness isn't exactly safe."

Sungmin bites his lip, unsure of what to think. Ryeowook swallows, choosing his words wisely. "If you don't believe us, why don't you go look for yourself? It's dark enough down here that if you go at night you'll be able to see all the stars in _our_ sky because it's far away enough from the city."

Sungmin doesn't say anything, and Jongjin gasps. "Oh, no, Sungmin, I know that look. Don't even think about it, they came from the Forbidden Land. Haven't you gotten yourself into enough trouble?"

Sungmin looks about to protest when he closes his mouth, turning back to Henry and Ryeowook, staring long and hard, and Henry squirms under the gaze, uncomfortable and trying to look anywhere but the fox like eyes that seem to be studying him. He finally opens his mouth again when Jongjin calls out to him softly but urgently, voice strained.

“Sungmin, he’s coming back!” He whispers worriedly, seeing the new guard coming to replace the supposed previous guard, gesturing for Sungmin to get away from the bars as quickly as possible. “Hurry, hide before he sees you, I won’t be able to help you anymore if he does!”

“Fine,” He nods reluctantly, looking back down at the two men quickly before rushing away, barely sparing a few more words, eyes still worried. “I’ll be back, I promise.”

Henry sighs as Sungmin leaves his vision, and he hears Jongjin making excuses to the new guard before he too is gone, left in the deafening silence with Ryeowook, lueuror seeming even dimmer than before the man had left.

He hands Ryeowook some of the bread that Sungmin left them, and chews on his own piece thoughtfully, wondering if he really will keep his promise. He smiles sadly to himself, knowing all to well how easy it is to break promises, but finds himself rather hoping that this Sungmin won’t be all bad, and he’s at least saved Henry’s life once, so there’s little more harm he can bring to himself by entrusting it to him again.

...

Sungmin can't bring himself to look either his brother or his father in the eye when he goes home that night, particularly his father. The Elder has always had an uncanny ability to tell when his son was lying to him, not to mention they haven't exactly been on speaking terms since the lashing. His father tends to express his distaste with a disappointed look that Sungmin really doesn't want to put up with right now. So he avoids him.

As for Sungjin, every time he passes the younger boy he gets a look that's a cross between worry and pity, and _that_ he can't stomach. Call him childish but Sungmin feels he's entitled to at least a little bit of sulking. After all, if Sungjin hadn't jumped to conclusions and gone stirring a riot, things probably would have happened differently. Perhaps they would have been able to save the two strangers from an awful and underserved fate (well, he supposes, they aren't really strangers now, but he realizes they still haven't properly introduced themselves. Understandable, really, considering the situation).

Which brings him to his current train of thought, as he lies on his bed listening to the sleep hour echo throughout the town. He keeps thinking about Henry's explanation of the intense heavenly light that keeps recurring. Indeed, the entire town is on edge, wondering what the next one will bring, because it's presence keeps causing a blackout of the stars covering nearly everything. Only the stars furthest from the light, at the edge of the stables where the sheep are kept, still glow. But to even fathom that there might be _another_ source of life, even greater than the stars... it boggles his mind.

But it’s more curiosity than fear that fills him, unlike the other townspeople, and he hears Henry’s words echo in his head, the supposed real stars that he spoke of bouncing around his head, festering until he determines that he’ll simply have to investigate it, Jongjin’s warning fading in his mind and replaced by determination to investigate Henry’s claims, slipping silently out of bed and repressing a wince as the still healing skin on his back rubs against his fresh bandages.

He makes his way through their small house quietly, hoping beyond hope to not have to run into his father, as he honestly doesn’t think he’d be able to explain this away, and would rather not have to sit through a verbal scathing, something he’s sure to receive for being up during the sleep hour, something valued highly among their people.

The door creaks slightly as he opens it, and it makes his heart jump from his chest and into his mouth, glancing quickly to make sure that nothing stirs still before quickly making his way out of the house, glancing contemplatively at his stars, the so called lueuror, as he goes, letting them light his way until he can hear the rushing of the river, steps light and everything else quiet.

He stands on the edge of the riverbank and looks forward and onto the Forbidden Land, biting his lip and wondering if he really is willing to take such a chance, essentially stomping all over beliefs that he has been raised on his entire life, to fill a curiosity imbued in him by so called demons, that if he’s caught would earn him more than just a bloody back and lifelong scars.

He curses himself under his breath, knowing this is a serious lack of judgement but he just can't help himself. He casts one unsure glance over his shoulder -- the town is sound asleep, just as they always have done at the sleeping hour, and just as they always will be. With a heavy sigh, he steps forward, his feet feeling like they weigh twenty times more than normal as he crosses the boundary no one has ever dared to set foot across.

The stars are glowing brightly now, because the heavenly light is gone, so it isn't difficult to find the source of it because it's a large gaping section of the sky where there are no stars glowing. At least, not that he can see as he approaches. His steps become increasingly tentative, as though he fears Luzo may smite him if he dares to look. But he's already come this far and he's not about to stop now -- he steps forward, directly beneath the darkened patch of sky.

Sungmin gasps, awestruck. It's as if he's seeing directly into heaven; the inky backdrop provides a canvas to _millions_ of brilliant little dots, much smaller than his own stars but _far_ greater in number. And almost in the center of it all, one large bright light in the shape of no star he's ever seen before, almost the shape of a wheat sickle but pointed on both ends. It shines brighter than anything else in the sky and it takes his breath away.

It casts light down right onto the very spot he stands, illumination pure white and blinding, and Sungmin can’t even think of tearing his eyes away, so glued as they are to the brilliant spots in the sky, and he thinks that there is simply no way any demons could come from where their lies such pure brilliance, awe coming over him.

“They weren’t lying,” He breathes, mouth parted as his eyes glance rapidly at each individual _star_ , amazement keeping him completely stationary, a hand held to his chest and fisting above his heart and mind racing. “These really are stars!”

He doesn’t know how long he stands there, simply marveling at the new kind of light, less gifted from heaven but no less gorgeous, and he tries to count them, failing miserably when he realizes the sheer magnitude of the lighted orbs. It isn’t until he notices the blackness start to shift that he realizes how long he’s stood slack jawed, nearly tumbling over himself to make it out of the Forbidden Land, away from the true stars before anyone can wake.

It occurs to him that he _needs_ to show Jongwoon this too, the other man probably just waking to prepare for preparing the clock for the day hour chiming, and he changes direction to go where he knows his friend to be, hoping beyond hope that he will be able to make it back to his own home before his father or brother wakes, wincing at the possible disaster of such an outcome.

Sungmin hurries back across the line where his town ends and the Forbidden Land begins as quietly as he can, keeping an eye out for any potential early risers. Some people, like Jongwoon, have to rise before the waking hour for their jobs and he prays beyond praying that he doesn't run into any of them. Luck is on his side, though, because the only person he finds is the one he's looking for -- Jongwoon, sleepy-eyed and looking rather grumpy as he pours a basin full of water into the pump for the clock. It will go off in half an hour -- Sungmin knows the clock is ticking, literally.

"Jongwoon," Sungmin hisses, and the older man nearly leaps out of his skin as he whirls around on one foot.

"What in heaven's name are you doing up this ear-- Sungmin, what the?!" Jongwoon exclaims quietly, barely having time to sit the basin down before Sungmin has him by the wrist and is dragging him across the square.

"I have to show you something," Sungmin snaps, sparing no further explanation. Jongwoon says nothing more on the matter (he, too, knows the consequences of Sungmin being caught at this hour) until they reach the Forbidden Land. When Sungmin shows no signs of stopping, he digs his heels into the ground, bringing them to a halt.

"Sungmin, what are you _thinking_? Are you _trying_ to warrant your execution?!"

“No, Jongwoon,” Sungmin insists, still trying to drag the other man to the side where the Forbidden Land begins, minutes ticking down mentally in his head as he hisses quietly at Jongwoon, watching the other man look at him like he’s lost his mind. “You have to see this, and hurry!”

“But Sungmin, we can’t go over there, we’ll die!” Jongwoon exclaims softly, looking around to make sure no one else is around yet before turning incredulous eyes to his friend, still standing his ground because defending outsiders may be one thing, but breaking a cardinal rule held since birth is an entire other. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Jongwoon, just trust me, I’ve just been there,” Sungmin sees Jongwoon’s eyes widen a fraction more and hopes that he hasn’t lost him, still tugging insistently on his wrist. “You will not die, it’s amazing, you have to see it! They weren’t lying, Jongwoon, they were telling the truth!”

Jongwoon blinks owlishly, but he sees the shimmer in Sungmin’s eyes and knows that he’s telling the truth, feeling slightly guilty for doubting him in the first place, and reluctantly lets himself be pulled along, though picking up his pace slightly as he realizes time is of the essence as well, the lashes on his back burning in remembrance of just the last punishment.

“Sungmin, I still don’t see anything, where are you-” He nearly runs into Sungmin’s back when the man stops abruptly, and he sees strange light covering the floor, vaguely remembering the hole in their sky. It’s when he looks up and sees the blanket of brilliant dots that his breath catches in his throat, mouth falling open. “Oh my Heavens!”

"See?" Sungmin breathes excitedly. "They were telling us the truth. There really _is_ another world up there." The dots in the other sky have faded slightly, the dark behind it lightening to a light purple hue and Jongwoon doesn't think he's ever seen anything so beautiful. The stars he is used to are beautiful, no doubt, but they are constant, unchanging, no difference between the hours of awake and asleep. But here, it was as if the sky was shifting before their eyes.

Jongwoon can only stand there in awe, and it is with undeniable disappointment that he follows Sungmin all too soon as the younger man drags him back toward the square. He is dazed as Sungmin suddenly halts them in front of the clock.

"I knew I wasn't reading them wrong," Sungmin whispers. "They just couldn't be demons. They were telling the truth. We have to convince my father somehow."

Jongwoon's eyes widen. "Sungmin, that's all fine and dandy but the only way to convince him is to tell him that we've seen proof. That means admitting that we _committed the highest sin._ Not to mention, the geysers have been stagnant for nearly three weeks, they're going to blow their tops off soon."

Sungmin gazes hard at him, and Jongwoon can nearly see the gears shifting in his brain through his eyes. His friend has always been easy to read, like an open book. When his jaws set and his eyes burn with passion, Jongwoon suddenly feels a sinking feeling settle in his stomach.

"Then we break them out. Tonight."

At any other time Sungmin would have laughed at the look on Jongwoon’s face, eyebrows near touching his hairline and mouth hanging open, but he’s too focused on trying desperately to convince Jongwoon of his plan. There is absolutely no way that he can let those men die now, not after seeing their truth, their stars.

“Sungmin, tell me you did not just say what I think you said,” Jongwoon hisses, hesitantly going about his duties with the clock, looking back at Sungmin with awe, unbelieving that he would even think such a thing. “Sneaking to the Forbidden Land is one thing, but breaking out prisoners that have been sentenced to death? We would be killed too!”

“We should be killed if we do nothing!” Sungmin says fiercely, watching Jongwoon go about his duties and seeing the gears turn in the other man’s head, trying desperately to turn him to his cause. “You know that as well as I do, Jongwoon. What will be done to them is completely wrong, they tell no lies, they aren’t demons-”

The clock chimes the morning hour loudly, cutting off Sungmin in the middle of his speech and Jongwoon whirls around, face inches from Sungmin’s and teeth gritted.

“I _know_ that, Sungmin, do you think I want innocent people to die?” He growls, mind too full to be rational and cordial, watching the fire in Sungmin’s eyes grow as he continues to argue. “But what you’re proposing could get us killed, not to mention doomed to fail!”

Sungmin opens his mouth to say something but Jongwoon grabs him by the collar and pulls him close. "You can't save everyone, Sungmin!" Jongwoon snaps, his eyes full more of desperation than anger. He wants so desperately to reason with his friend, knowing that an endeavor such as this will likely end with him in a funeral pyre. "Please!"

The younger man merely narrows his eyes at Jongwoon, and shoves him off. "I won't have their blood on my hands," he says in a quiet resolution. "And I'm not going to stand by and do nothing. I'm going to do everything in my power to get them out of there, and if you're too much of a coward to help me then I guess I'm doing it alone."

With that, Sungmin spins around and storms off to sneak back home before his father and brother fully arise. Maybe he can fool them into thinking he woke up just early enough to start preparing breakfast for them. But his mind is so reeling with planning on how he's going to free them from the well that he doesn't notice Jongwoon is staring at his retreating form, his fingers digging into his palms and his shoulders quaking in the effort not to say anything back.

“Why won’t you ever just _listen_ to me,” He murmurs sadly and under his breath, trying to smile as he sees people beginning to fill the square, his brother bounding up to him, leaving no room to go after his friend and knock any sense into him, waking hour chiming its final bells.

“Maybe I really am a coward.”

...

Sungmin has barely made it through the doors of his house before regretting what he’s said to Jongwoon, knowing deep down that his friend only has the best in mind for him, and knows that he shouldn’t have snapped at him, especially when his plan is half baked at best. Jongwoon’s words ring true when he thinks about it rationally, and the more he thinks about it the worse he feels, knowing that Jongwoon will take his words to heart as well, and wishing for nothing more than to take it all back.

It doesn’t have him running to apologize though, as he still has every intention of making good on his word, and when he thinks about it he really doesn’t want Jongwoon along anyway, his friend already having to suffer enough at his expense, hand unconsciously tracing a bandage curving over his hip. He tries to push this to the back of his mind though, overcome by racing with possible plans as he sets the table and makes breakfast for his brother and father, hoping that his unslept on bed goes unnoticed, smiling deceivingly bright when they enter.

His father eyes him suspiciously, but Sungjin just looks happy that his brother isn't being a hermit anymore. "Sungmin! What are you doing up so early?"

Sungmin smiles as he flicks the skillet with his wrist, the eggs in the pan expertly flipping over. "I woke up just a few minutes before the waking hour chimed and decided I was hungry. I'm making some for you, too, don't worry," he adds, seeing the pout on Sungjin's face ready to form. "Father, how would you like your eggs done?"

The Elder just furrows his eyebrows in a way that warrants explanation and Sungmin's smile falters. He casts his eyes downward, unable to lie to his father while looking him in the eye. "I... I've been doing some thinking. A-and I was wrong. I have a lot to make up for, for the sins that I've committed," he says softly, hoping his voice isn't as shaky as he feels. _Please be convinced, please be convinced..._

His father says nothing for a while, but when Sungmin looks up, his heart beating in his throat, he nearly leaps for joy at seeing the soft smile grace his father's lips. "That's relieving to hear," the man says finally. "Contrary to what you may think, no father enjoys beating his children. I did what I had to do because I only want the best for you, son."

Sungmin's lip twitches as he fights the urge to bite it, a habit that has always given him away. "I know, Father," he replies, plastering a smile of his own. "But I want to put that behind me now. Let's eat." And he fights away the added guilt in his stomach, because deep down he really loves his father, but he knows the man is wrong.

And that’s why he has to do what he is going to do tonight, even if it means cutting all ties he may have to his family, heart sinking as he watches his father and brother sit at the table, finishing up breakfast quietly, trying to keep the frown threatening to pull at his lips at bay.

“I’m so glad you’re back to normal, brother!” Sungjin exclaims happily when Sungmin sets his plate in front of him, smiling brightly at his brother and Sungmin feels something tug at his heart, smile a bit more strained. “I’d almost thought you were becoming a demon yourself, it’s good to see you back to yourself again!”

Sungmin laughs it off, brushing off the comment lightly, but he can’t help but think he’s anything _but_ himself anymore, planning to risk his entire being for two strangers that he’s barely had a conversation with, all for the truth of the story they tell, of the opportunity to save innocents.

And he knows that’s what makes it worth it, because even if he fails he just wouldn’t feel right to wake up in the morning to find them dead, and for no reason other than his people’s blindness, and if there’s no one but him that wants to see past there beliefs but him, then so be it, he’s willing to take that chance.

Breakfast goes on in a mostly-comfortable silence for the three of them, but Sungmin's thoughts are far from their little home as he eats. There are so many aspects to plan; how is he going to actually get them out of the geyser well, how is he going to get the key from the guard to open the bars, when are the geysers set to blow, where are they going to even _go_ once he gets them out...

His thoughts are interrupted when his father clears his throat, sitting his chopstick down on the empty plate in front of him. "I had meant to talk to you both about this a couple of days ago, but considering... what happened... I thought it wise to wait. And now I see that I was right," the Elder begins, another soft smile as he nods his head at Sungmin, who feels the guilt gnaw painfully at the pit of his stomach.

"What is it, Father?" Sungjin asks, quirking his head curiously to the side.

"I'm sure it is quite obvious that I'm not as young as I used to be," the Elder says sagely, stroking his short beard in contemplation. "And as the position of an Elder is quite great, an heir needs to be trained early, and extensively, before he is allowed to take over. The other Elders have been hinting at this for a while, but I have yet to name my heir." He looks his oldest son in the eye, and Sungmin very nearly gulps.

_Please don’t say what I think you’re going to say_ , Sungmin pleads in his minds voice, begging any higher force to at least spare him today, to not make his decision andy harder than it already is, to not make him have to do this.

“I’ve decided it’s high time I name you my heir, Sungmin,” The Elder says sagely, smiling proudly at his son and Sungjin looks like he’s fit to burst, smile splitting his face as he looks at Sungmin as well. “And you’re recognition of your actions the other day simply proves it. I’m sure you’ll make a fine Elder one day.”

“Wow, Sungmin, I’m so proud of you!” Sungjin says happily, reaching over to clap his brother on the shoulder, oblivious to the white pallor creeping up Sungmin’s cheeks and taking it instead for a sign of nervousness. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do great!”

“You’re just saying that because you don’t want to be Elder,” Sungmin says weakly, brain feeling like it’s shut down as his family gazes expectantly at him, at a complete loss of what to say because, really, what does he say to that when he doesn’t even expect to be here tomorrow.

Sungjin chuckles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his. "You caught me. But it's such a prestigious position, brother, you should be honored! You've always been better at handling yourself than I was."

A nervous chuckle escapes Sungmin's throat, and he isn't quite sure if he's managed to keep his smile on his face. His father mistakes his reaction for nerves and gives a kind expression. "I know it's a lot of pressure to bear, but I trust that you'll do fine." Sungmin nods blankly as his father lists off the tasks he's expected to begin training for, and he clasps his hands under the table, lest the violent trembling give him away.

When his father finally stops to take a breath, he gives a shaky smile. "It's... a lot to take in," he says finally. "It's a bit overwhelming."

"Why don't you go take your rod and head out for the day, then?" Sungjin suggests. "You always say it's calming, beyond me how though it is. I'll take care of the dishes for you," he offers, standing and collecting their plates. The Elder smiles encouragingly, and Sungmin nods slightly.

"Y-yeah. I'll do that."

Sungmin has to work to make his legs move to get himself to his room to collect his fishing rod, legs feeling like solid lead as he leaves the kitchen, tumbling onto the bed once he enters the room and burying his face in his hands, feeling a migraine beginning in his temples.

“What do I _do_?” He whispers to himself, at least before he would have been able to try this outlandish plan and be able to leave his family for such a cause with only the expected difficulties, something he’d have been able to handle. But being trained for Elder means that his father has penned the entire future of their town onto him, to bestow such a serious position on him is a huge honor, and he’s not sure if he could take such a position and simply leave.

But then he remembers Henry and Ryeowook, huddled together and seeming so small, imprisoned for reasons beyond their control, and it clashes as to what he’s supposed to do as his duty of eldest son, unable to simply be comfortable with leaving them there after he’s learned their truth, visions of true stars dancing over his eyeballs.

He sighs for a moment, reaching a hand out to rifle through his nightstand’s drawers, finding a small framed sketch at the bottom and running his fingers over the edges lovingly, sad smile gracing his face.

“You’d have known what to do, wouldn’t you mom?” He says softly, sure that if his mother were still around that this decision wouldn’t be so hard, but he wonders If this is simply wishful thinking on his part, anything to set his mind from the task at hand.

Tears burn the back of his eyes and it hits him, not for the first time, how terribly much he misses her. Perhaps it would not have been so tragic if he were allowed to properly mourn her passing. As it were, they did not speak of her -- they weren't allowed to, he and Sungjin -- and his younger brother was too young to remember much of her anyway.

_Am I willing to give up what's left of my family?_ Sungmin thinks as his eyes rove the picture. His gazes stops on her eyes, the same fox-like eyes that he has, and it feels as though she's actually looking at him through the photo. The charcoal irises seem hollow, and even though it's just a picture Sungmin thinks that it's not just the greyscale that makes it so. It's an expression that seems so familiar to him, like he's seen it somewhere recently.

And then it hits him. The look on his mother's face in the charcoal sketch is one of resign, forever immortalized on paper. And it hits him that he _has_ seen that look somewhere else -- in Henry's eyes, when Sungmin promised he'd be back and it was in his eyes, like someone who had heard too many broken promises. The look of someone who knew death was upon them and that there was nothing they could do about it.

The difference is, Sungmin could do nothing to save his mother. But with Henry and Ryeowook, there is a chance. Slim, but there is a chance. Sungmin chews on his lower lip as the consequences, not just for him but for everyone, fly through his mind. He feels bad for Sungjin, who will bear the weight of heir in his absence without much choice in the matter. But for his father, though he knows he will shame in his actions... though he will be angry and disappointed... he feels no pity. Not while looking at the picture of the woman the Elder refuses to acknowledge.

Sungmin sighs, sad smile pulling at his lips, and crosses the room to find his fishing rod, small portrait still in hand, picking up the instrument before walking to the door. He gazes at the small frame one last time before slipping it into his pocket, closing his eyes and trying to clear his mind again.

There’s no use leaving it in a place that doesn’t wish to remember, no matter where he may be going.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The desperate struggle to survive and see the light of day.

Sungmin nearly flinches when he hears the sleeping hour chime, crouching on his usual fishing rock, knees drawn into his chest and rod set beside him, not a fish caught all day, simply thinking.

He skips a rock across the river and continues to think, if he’s going to do anything then he needs to start soon, knowing that the change of the guards for sleep hour will be coming soon, and he can’t miss that small window of opportunity.

As much as he racks his brain though, he simply cannot see this going anything but horribly wrong, this whole plan riding on if he can even manage to pilfer the guard’s keys in the first place, and hoping that Henry and Ryeowook trust him enough to listen to him quickly, he’s sure time will be of the essence and there will be little time to explain his reasons.

In hindsight, he's glad he brought the rope he normally uses to toss his pail out into the river to catch minnow for bait. He only hopes it will be long enough to reach them at the bottom; otherwise, it's an impossible climb straight up. He has absolutely no idea what he's going to do with his rod and the pail itself though, as he needs his hands free. He decides that hiding them is the best option; there's a little shelf just beneath the surface of the water that he has used in playing pranks when he was younger that is just wide enough to fit the pail and just long enough to fit the rod.

The rope, Sungmin slings around his shoulder and with one final, lingering gaze on the town downstream, he heaves a heavy sigh and makes his way as stealthily as he can toward the geysers. He plans to hide long enough for the town to go to sleep and then... somehow... get the keys from the guard and get them out of there. He hopes it will go as quietly as possible -- as doomed this is to fail, he still would rather make it out of this ordeal alive and if he can get the entire night as a headstart, all the better. 

There are two entrances to the geysers -- one that he and Jongwoon discovered long ago, which comes from the river side of the geysers and around to the back, and the one that everyone else knew of that goes straight into town. He takes the back way, tiptoeing ever closer, and his breath hitches when he hears a familiar voice.

"...heard that the geysers were leaking more today than usual, so I figured the geysers were about to blow," Jongwoon sneers in a tone Sungmin has _never_ heard before. "Luzo forgive me, I want to see the demons drown for what they did to me." 

Sungmin's eyes widen and he dares to peek around the corner. The guard, a younger one than he's used to seeing, has his back to him, Jongwoon facing him. Their eyes meet for a split second before Sungmin pulls back, but he knows Jongwoon has seen him. 

"And besides," Jongwoon continues. "I'm sure you would rather get some rest than waste the whole sleeping hour listening to them scream." 

The guard shifts uneasily on his feet but ends up handing the keys over to Jongwoon. "You won't tell the Elder about this, right?" 

“Of course not,” Jongwoon’s voice echoes reassuringly, dark edge still present, and he takes the keys from the young guard, shooing him on his way back into town, standing with his arms crossed over his chest for a moment before his eyes shift back to Sungmin’s hiding place.

“Hey, Min, come out here,” He whispers lowly, making sure that the guard is out of sight before gesturing to him, and Sungmin is frozen in shock, of all the things he expected to be happening tonight, Jongwoon was in none of his plans. “It took a lot of work to convince that guard to give me his keys, don’t waste my hard work by standing there slack jawed!”

“Jongwoon...” Sungmin breathes with a sort of awe attached, after the words he spat at his friend earlier he was sure he wouldn’t come, Sungmin honestly doesn’t believe he deserves Jongwoon’s help, feeling even guiltier now for calling him a coward. “I’m so sorry about what I said earlier, I really didn’t-”

“I know, Min,” Jongwoon says, small smile on his face directed at Sungmin for a moment before he tosses the other man the keys, gesturing to the geyser and trying to hurry his friend along. “Now hurry up before my cowardice forces me to run away, and I really _am_ worried about that geyser, we need to hurry.”

Sungmin has to resist the urge to start bawling at Jongwoon, and has to wonder what he ever did to warrant having such a friend, and just grins back as he accepts the keys, hurrying over to the bars and kneeling over them as Jongwoon keeps watch, hoping that Henry and Ryeowook are willing to listen to him.

His heart sinks when he hears the sound of rushing water echoing from somewhere below them and Sungmin knows he hasn't got much time. "Listen," he urges as he tries the first key, seeing the distrusting looks on their faces and he prays they didn't actually _believe_ what Jongwoon had said. "I'm going to get you out of here but you need to stay calm and stay quiet. The geysers are going to erupt any minute now and if you're still down there you'll be rushed in a matter of seconds. If the force doesn't kill you then the water will." 

"Why should we believe you?" Ryeowook says, eyeing Jongwoon warily. He and Henry are still curled up on the floor, clinging to each other and shivering in the dark. Sungmin curses softly, still fumbling with the key ring -- there are six keys on it and he doesn't know which one works -- and Jongwoon huffs impatiently. 

"Because you have no other option," he retorts. "It's either that or sit and wait to die." 

"But that's what you want, isn't it?" Ryeowook snaps. "I heard you talking to that guard! Don't play me for a fool!" 

"Wookie..." Henry breathes suddenly, tugging on Ryeowook's sleeve. "Wookie, the water..."

All four of them freeze as they see the water leaking in faster than before. Sungmin curses again, louder this time as Henry and Ryeowook scramble to their feet. 

“Just trust us,” Jongwoon hisses, wrenching the bars open once Sungmin finally finds the right key, watching Sungmin scramble to lower the rope down, patience wearing thin and nerves taking effect. “You may not want to believe what we say, but we’re here to save you and you can be damn sure you _will_ die if you don’t move and accept our help.”

Ryeowook still looks like he’s willing to protest when Henry all but throws him up the face of the wall, hands securing around the rope on reflex as Jongwoon and Sungmin hold it steady above, urging him on faster as the water flow increases, lapping at Henry’s ankles.

It’s a tense few minutes until Ryeowook pulls himself over the edge, panting at the exertion and near exhaustion from hardly sleeping or eating for days, almost immediately turning around to anxiously watch Henry make his way up, ground rumbling slightly and the trickle of water beginning to turn into a torrent.

“Hurry up, Henry,” Ryeowook urges desperately, willing Henry to move faster. He doesn’t think he could handle if he were to live at the loss of Henry, cursing his own mistrust for slowing things down, watching their so called saviours struggling, feeling a pang of guilt. It’s quickly overrode with fear and worry again though, because really, what can only two men do to help them when there’s a town full of people ready to kill them with a second’s notice.

It's absolutely heart-stopping when Henry's foot slips and he slides several feet down the rope, hissing at the sting. Ryeowook starts to cry out and Jongwoon has to slap a hand over his mouth to keep it from echoing off the walls. Henry clings on to the rope for dear life, because the well has filled up so much that he can't touch the bottom without going under, and if he goes under he's finished -- the pressure will just keep pushing him further down.

"Come on, come _on_ ," Sungmin urges. "Henry, you have to climb faster!"

"I... I can't," Henry replies weakly, clearly struggling, if the flopping in the water is anything to go by. "The wall is too slippery, I can't get my footing." Ryeowook looks like he may pass out on the spot if Henry doesn't climb over the well and fear flashes even in Jongwoon's eyes. Sungmin panics for a split-second, wondering if his efforts were going to drown there and then, when an idea hits him. 

"Henry, listen to me, okay? Wrap the rope as low around your waist as possible, and around your wrists if you can to steady yourself. We're going to hoist you out. Once your feet are out of the water use them to brace yourself on the wall," he instructs. Henry nods frantically, using one hand to hold himself above the water and the other to wrap the loose end of the rope around his waist, fumbling as he tries to tie a knot with one hand. 

It's a tense few minutes until Henry has the knot secured around himself, hand fumbling and nervous, face becoming paler by the second as the water continues to rise below him, faster and faster as time goes by.

Ryeowook looks like he's about to break down at any time, stress of the events eating away at him more and more, tears starting to slip in worn tracks down his cheeks. He takes a hold of Jongwoon's wrist and holds on for dear life as he watches Henry get slowly pulled up, step by step along the steep face of the rock wall. 

"Come on, Henry, just a little more," Sungmin pleads a tad desperately, hoping beyond hope that things don't fall apart _now_ , when they're so close to at least freeing them. He's not sure if he'll be able to forgive himself if he lets Henry die here, not after giving him hope.

He doesn't want to have to see the same expression on his mother's portrait have to fall on Henry's face again. He wants to be able to save him from that fate, from having so many promises broken. 

The relief is palpable when Henry gets a leg over the top, and Jongwoon has to stop Ryeowook from throwing himself at the other man, lest he be sent right back over the edge of the well. Sungmin has to repress a cry himself, relieved that they actually managed to get them out, even if they aren't quite out of danger yet. 

"We can't stay here," Jongwoon hisses as Henry flops belly-down on solid ground. "We won't drown but the wells all overflow and we'll make too much noise splashing around."

Sungmin nods. "Let's go," he urges, pulling Henry to his feet; Jongwoon likewise helps Ryeowook to stand on shaky legs. Go where, Sungmin hasn't exactly thought out, but the first place that comes to mind is the Forbidden Land. No one but he and Jongwoon has ever dared to set foot there before and while he has _no_ idea where they're to go from there, it's a start. 

Ryeowook has no idea where they're going; he just allows Jongwoon to lead him onward, following closely behind Sungmin and Henry. His legs feel like gelatin because he hasn't stood or walked in days, so he leans heavily on the older man. There's a loud rushing noise in his ears, and he isn't sure if it's the sound of the geysers erupting or the current of the river or his heartbeat or a combination of the three. Soon, however, he sees a dim light, brighter than the lueuror, and his heart leaps when he sees rays of the setting sun through the ceiling where he and Henry must have fallen through. Offhandedly, he wonders what it must be like to live without the sun, and shudders. He swears he will never take it for granted ever again, if he ever makes it back to the surface.

Henry has half a mind to burst into a fit of tears as they pass beneath the hole where the light shines through, never so happy in his life to see the sky. And to think, just a few hours ago he was convinced that he would never see the light of day again. A laughing sob bubbles from deep in his throat and his legs give out underneath him. Sungmin catches him, smiling slightly as he looks over to Jongwoon. "We can stop here for now, they won't come looking for us here. Let them rest."

“You’re probably right, they’ll be too afraid of the ‘Forbidden Land’ to do anything but quake in fear of demons,” Jongwoon snorts, helping Ryeowook gently sink to his knees, having been threatening to give out beneath the smaller man since they pulled him out, looking up gratefully at Jongwoon for a moment. “What are all these colors in your sky, anyway? Is the world going to end on us now that we’ve gotten you out of your biggest trouble, so to speak?”

It draws a small chuckle from Henry, and Sungmin smiles, liking that look on the young man’s face much more than the previously despondent eyes and sad, knowing smile, finding happiness much more suited to his still round cheeks.

“It’s what we call a ‘sunset’, after the sun has crossed the sky and begins to set, it creates those colors,” Henry explains patiently, watching as Jongwoon and Sungmin look at him with blank expressions, realizing just how sheltered they are. “But I’m sure that’s an explanation for another time. Oh, I’m Henry and this is Ryeowook, by the way, I don’t believe we ever had proper introductions.”

“I’m Sungmin,” Sungmin says, storing away the wondrous mysteries of the men’s sky for another time, one where he isn’t staying conscious simply from the adrenaline rush, anxiety and fear threatening to take him over at any time. His voice takes on a slightly bitter tone as he continues, truly wondering how this now will go, one of the biggest hurdles behind him. “And this is Jongwoon, though you may know that from my father and that mob shouting at us before you were dragged off."

A silence falls over the four of them, each immersed in their own thoughts as the rush of the adrenaline finally wears off. Jongwoon and Sungmin keep stealing glances skyward in awe as the colors fade to that inky blackness Sungmin saw the previous day. Henry quickly succumbs to sleep, having not slept a wink in days, and he slumps over on the ground. Ryeowook frowns, scooting over and pulling the young man's head in his lap so that he doesn't wake up with a crick in his neck.

Henry barely stirs as he feels himself being shifted, and Ryeowook smiles fondly, stroking the boy's soaked and mussed up hair so that it lies flat. Still, he worries about what's to happen next. He looks up and follows the gaze of the other two to the hole in the ceiling and his heart sinks instead of flutters, like theirs. There is no way that they can reach that, even if they stood on each other's shoulders. And if they stay there, there's only so long they can hold out with no sustenance, and going back is absolutely not an option. Not even for Jongwoon and Sungmin, anymore.

"What are we going to do now?" he murmurs, getting the older two men's attention. Jongwoon stares blankly and Sungmin bites his lip. 

"I haven't thought about that yet," he admits hesistantly. "The biggest priority was getting you out of that well before you both drowned. Now... well, I'll think of something." 

Ryeowook doesn't like the sound of that. Jongwoon clears his throat, clearly reading whatever thoughts were readable in his best friend's eyes in a way that Ryeowook couldn't understand. "Min, I know what you're thinking. I highly doubt there's any chance of convincing them. Our only option is up and out." He nods skyward.

“But _how_ do you propose we get ‘up’ in the first place?” Ryeowook says quietly, trying not to wake Henry, looking so much more his age as he sleeps, face free of worry lines and light snores escaping his mouth. He glances up at the sky himself and takes a moment to admire it’s hues, darkening by the minute. “Unless you people can fly as well, I think we may need another plan.”

“Well I certainly can’t, I only keep time, and you would think Min would be able to,” Jongwoon says, patience wearing thinner by the moment and trying to keep his words form turning too biting. “What with his obsession with being a martyr, but unless someone else has a bright idea, then I think we may be a bit out of luck. Though I don’t think I’d mind dying beneath this sky.”

Jongwoon’s musing fade off as he leans back on the ground, crossing his arms behind his head and simply looking up, trying to push his residual emotions to the back of his mind, the sacred river running at a low roar and filling his ears, combining with the watercolor patterns across the sky.

"We have some time to think on it," Sungmin states almost curtly, as if trying to stop his friend's pessimistic thoughts in their tracks. "Let's not be too hasty."

Jongwoon snorts. "Says the one who came to me, 'let's break them out tonight,'" he chuckles. Sungmin wonders how his friend can be so light-hearted in this dire situation but decides it's probably good for them all. 

A sudden, loud toll of the clock scares them all, Sungmin nearly leaping out of his skin and Henry startled awake. Ryeowook's head snaps to Jongwoon, whose arms have fallen to his side and his eyes are wide with horror. 

"It's too early for the waking hour," Sungmin gasps. "And that chime... it's deeper than normal... Jongwoon, what's going on?"

"The summoning bell," Jongwoon breathes. "It's only used in an emergency. Surely you remember the last time it was rung, it was when..." he stops, seeing the dawning terror on Sungmin's face.

"What? What does it mean?" Ryeowook looks frantically between Sungmin and Jongwoon as Henry manages to sit up. 

"What does what mean?" Henry pipes in, confused.

"It means they're summoning the people to the square," Jongwoon clarifies, sounding grim. "They know something's up."

And it's then that Sungmin realizes his grave, grave error, and he curses loudly at himself. "Damn it, I never went home! Sungjin probably raised the alarm, he always pokes his nose in my room before he goes to sleep!"

Jongwoon curses, quickly standing up and looking around wildly, as if expecting people from every turn and yanking Ryeowook to his feet as well, looking at Sungmin with wide eyes, biting his lip in worry as he watches his friend pull Henry up as well, starting a brisk pace farther away from the town.

“Sungmin, I swear your damn brother will be the end of both of us,” Jongwoon hisses under his breath at Sungmin, fists clenched and mind racing. He had no plan prepared when he went to help Sungmin, and curses himself for not thinking something beyond that, only coming up with running further into the Forbidden Land, trying to pick up their place. “What do we do now? They’ll catch us!”

Ryeowook stops abruptly when Jongwoon tries to drag him along, yanking his hand back like he’s been burnt and gazing at Sungmin and Jongwoon with angry eyes. “You planned this from the beginning, didn’t you? Did you think it would be more fun to give us hope and then just yank it away again?”

“What are you _talking_ about?” Jongwoon nearly growls, not wanting to have time to deal with a tantrum when he can hear the bell chiming, the beginnings of shouting coming from down the river.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about! You probably had this planned from the minute you all saw us in the river, didn't you? Yanking our chains, making us think we had a chance! Tell me, is this what you do to all outsiders or are we a special case?" Ryeowook rants, trying to maneuver Henry awake from Sungmin as well, but the boy is dazed and confused and rooted to his spot. "We may as well have killed ourselves while we had the chance! At least being executed we knew what was coming!"

"Why you ungrateful little..." Jongwoon _does_ growl this time, raising his arm. Instead of striking Ryeowook, though the younger boy flinches, Jongwoon reaches over and grabs Sungmin by the arm, all but ripping his grasp off of Henry and lifting his shirt over his head.

"Jongwoon, wha... what do you think you--" Sungmin splutters as he gets a mouthful of his shirt.

"Shut up and turn around," Jongwoon barks, and his tone stuns them all. Sungmin does as he's told, and Jongwoon lifts the younger man's shirt all the way up to his elbows, and then makes quick work of his bandages. Sungmin hisses sharply as the air hits his festering wounds, and even Henry is wide awake, staring wide-eyed when he sees the horribly disfigured skin.

Ryeowook gulps and feels bile and guilt rising in his throat, and he turns to look away, but Jongwoon reaches over and grabs him by the chin, forcing him to look.

"Look at it!" he snaps, his voice cracking in his anger. "Do you think he _wanted_ this? Do you think he would have intentionally _asked_ for this? Sungmin earned each and every one of these lashes for the two of you, that's _eleven each_ , because he wanted to spare your lives. Now tell me that we planned this!"

“Stop it, Jongwoon,” Sungmin hisses, attempting to re apply his bandages as Henry and Ryeowook stare at his torn back in shock, wincing as his hands brush over the still raw skin. “They didn’t know, it’s not like you can blame them for not trusting us.”

“Why are you always defending them?” Jongwoon grits out, patience having snapped in two and the constant nerves he’s had all day taking over, hand falling from Ryeowook’s chin to go and help his friend get his shirt back over his head, trying his best to avoid scarping over the lashes. “They have done nothing to deserve your kindness, Min, and yet here it’s thrown back in your face. Why?”

“Because I don’t want the same thing that happened to my mother to happen to them,” Sungmin whispers, pulling his shirt on the rest of the way and seeing the anger in Jongwoon’s eyes cool, replaced by sadness and understanding. “And I don’t see why you had to show them my back, yours will scar quite nicely too I’d imagine.”

“I’m sorry,” A small voice drifts in to interrupt their argument, and Jongwoon’s head practically snaps over to see Ryeowook, eyes filled with guilt and staring at the ground, avoiding Sungmin entirely. “I didn’t know, and I apologize that you had to go through that for us. But you can’t blame us for being untrusting after all that we’ve been through.”

“Ryeowook,” Henry speaks for the first time since Jongwoon’s explosion and looks at Ryeowook with hard eyes, biting his lip and glancing to Sungmin and Jongwoon nervously. “You have to stop that, it sounds rude and no matter what their intentions now, they’ve saved us twice and I believe that warrants thankfulness, if not trust.”

"It's alright," Sungmin assures, urging them along. "It's said and done, but we really can't afford to stand here and bicker," he adds, listening to the din growing ever louder from the town. "We need to keep going." He eyes the passageway further into the Forbidden Land warily, until it bends beyond their sight. Surely if the riot came looking and stopped at the boundary, they wouldn't see them there.

Henry and Ryeowook nod a touch frantically, and Jongwoon heaves a heavy sigh as Sungmin beckons them forward. They hurry along, but even as the distance between them and the townspeople they can still hear the outraged cries bouncing off the walls as if chasing them.

_Search the town! They can't have gone far!_

Suddenly Sungmin feels a twinge of guilt for the guard that was supposed to have been on duty; he knows that the man will surely be beaten for letting the prisoners escape. For all the sins that he's committed in the past couple of days, all for the sake of these two men who fell from the sky... he prays to Luzo that he will be forgiven. 

The farther they get away from the hole in the sky the brighter the lueuror glows, making it easy to see where they're going. The follow the river upstream, even in some places where the riverbed was precariously narrow; they have to sidle across it one at a time in fear that it would crumble beneath their feet. Sungmin and Jongwoon continue in wonder, pondering just how extensive the Forbidden Land really is -- Henry and Ryeowook merely pray that this tunnel leads somewhere. 

Their hearts all sink when they come to a wall face that goes straight up, arching and blending in with the ceiling at the top. The river flows from an opening in the wall, as though it were the mouth of the stone opening up to let the water flow through.

“Oh Luzo help us all,” Sungmin breathes, eyeing the steep wall with fear in his eyes, he can hear the cries of the townspeople echoing through the walls and though he knows that they won’t come in here, there’s simply no way of going back. “It’s a dead end.”

Jongwoon pounds his fist against the wall angrily and grits his teeth, previous hopelessness starting to drown him as he wonders what he could have done differently, he truly doesn’t want to die here in this cave, nor does he want to go back and face certain death at the hands of his own family.

“Dammit,” he hisses, not looking at anyone but the ground, hating how helpless he feels, “What are we supposed to do now? Sit here and wait for death to take us?”

Sungmin looks on the edge of hyperventilating as Jongwoon’s words sink in, if his friends is right then that means he’s _failed_ that he’s going to have to watch innocents die right in front of his eyes _again_ , and suddenly his eyes fill with tears, unable to handle the thought of having to see it happen once more, chest heaving.

Jongwoon continues to curse in every way that he knows how, and Henry watches on in awe, hope yanked out from under him and still not settled in, watching Sungmin break down in front of him with scared eyes, and begins to whisper to himself in his native tongue, attempting to keep a clear head.

Ryeowook wants to let that despair creep up in him again. He wants someone to blame, wants to kick and scream and cry and damn it all, he doesn't want to die. And seeing Jongwoon break down, seeing _Sungmin_ break down, the one who held fast to hope this entire time despite the odds, it makes his heart shatter like glass. He watches Sungmin sink down the wall, watches Jongwoon finally stop pounding the wall and rest his forehead against it with trembling shoulders, and tears of his own slip down his grimy face. 

The four of them are at a loss for what to do. The only noises they hear are Henry's panicked whispers that sound like prayers in a tongue no one but him can comprehend, the occasional sniff, and the crescendo of the riot clamoring all around them. That, and the whistle of the water snaking through the... 

"Wait," Ryeowook breathes. "Do you hear that?" The other three freeze, Henry in mid-sentence and Sungmin in mid-sob, and the whistling is a little clearer. 

"I only hear the river," Sungmin moans miserably. "And the angry mob that wants our blood."

"No," Henry says, quickly catching on, his eyes sparkling with renewed hope. "Water doesn't whistle like that. That sounds like wind!" 

Jongwoon and Sungmin blink in tired confusion. "Now who's the one yanking our chains," Jongwoon bites out. 

"No, really," Ryeowook argues, "If there's wind it means we must be close to the surface! The only way it would make that sort of whistling is if there's a hole in the wall that opens up on both sides. I'd be willing to bet that the river flows through a hole like that! We could probably swim our way out!"

"There are two problems with your plan, genius," Jongwoon groans, too tired and desperate to see the optimistic side of things. "I can't swim, and guessing from what happened to get you guys here in the first place I'd say Henry can't either." Henry pinks a little but Jongwoon ignores it and presses on. "Not to mention, I'd like to see _you_ swim against _that_ current on a good day, nevermind your current state."

“It’s all we have!” Ryeowook says fiercely, refusing to give into the rampant pessimism, pressing on as the gears in his mind continue to turn, plan fleshing out the more he thinks about it. _They can live_. “I know it sounds impossible, but it can work! We’ve gotten this far, we can’t simply stop now!”

“Ryeowook is right,” Sungmin says softly, gently pulling himself up the stone face and regaining some of the determination in his eyes, trying desperately to find hope again. “We’re so close, we can’t give up now.”

“But _how_ do we do it?” Jongwoon insists, not quite willing to believe in such an easy sounding solution so quickly, wary of any ideas that are not solid fact, this leaving so much up to chance. “Henry and I can’t swim, and I’d say Sungmin isn’t in the best shape for it right now either.”

Ryeowook crouches by the river and looks upon it ponderingly for a moment, making mental calculations for a moment, and abruptly sticks his head under the water, trying to squint through the remaining grime and up the hole, pulling back up when he finally runs out of breath.

“There are some rocks and sticks, and it isn’t that deep so you should be able to pull yourself along against the current,” he says, calmer than he feels and watching the light dawn in Jongwoon’s eyes, hoping beyond hope that he has this calculated correctly. “But time is really of the essence, you won’t be able to hold your breath all the way through if you slow down, even a little.”

"But..." Henry's eyes are wide with fear. "What if you slip or something? You'd be carried back downstream and if you don't drown first, the townspeople will find you..." 

Sungmin curses that he didn't think to grab the rope when they left the geysers, otherwise they could have tied themselves together to prevent such a catastrophe. "We'll just have to make do," he says resolutely, lifting his shirt once more and undoing the bandages around his waist before pulling it back down. Jongwoon balks at him and when Sungmin looks up, he shrugs. "I'm sorry, it'll be a little gross, but it's the best we've got."

"That's not what I'm worried about!" Jongwoon protests as Sungmin uses his teeth to rip the long bandage in two, handing him the cleanest end. "Min, if your wounds get infected you'll get sick!"

"And what do you suggest we do? You said it yourself, you can't swim," Sungmin reasons quietly. "Henry's right, it's way too risky going one at a time. If we go at it in pairs, there's twice as much strength to hold against the current and it keeps us together."

Ryeowook nods. "Sounds like a plan. Sungmin, you should go with Henry, he's lighter," he suggests moving to take the bandage from Jongwoon's hand. 

Sungmin furrows his eyebrows and opens his mouth to protest, when Jongwoon cuts him off. "Do what he says, Min. You're weak enough from the lashes and with the bandages off I don't want you taking anymore chances." He turns to face Ryeowook, his expression still concerned. "But are you sure you'll be able to hold my weight?"

“I’ll have to,” he mutters, watching Henry tighten he and Sungmin’s makeshift rope, looking nervously on at the flowing current and thinking he may need a bit more than a prayer if they’re actually going to pull this off. But anything is better than not trying at all, dying slowly in this small cave or murdered by an angry mob. “It’s not like we have any other options.”

“As long as you can pull some of your weight along the rocks, then we should be fine,” he continues to reason, slowly piecing together his plan, sorting through the tangled threads and watching it come together. “And Sungmin and Henry can go first, this way if they do fall then we should be able to catch them from behind.”

“And whatever you do don’t panic, if you lose your grip just find a new one, and don’t take in too much water,” Ryeowook begins to ramble, trying to cover every base he can, discovering every flaw to his reasoning slowly, only stopping when Jongwoon’s hand lands on his shoulder, patting it awkwardly.

“Hey, calm down,” Jongwoon says softly, noticing the wild look starting to enter Ryeowook’s eyes again, more than likely imagining all the way that his plan could go wrong and seeing the deaths of all of them on his head if so. “It’s the best we have, and we’ll just have to say a prayer and hope for the best.”

"Yeah. Right," Ryeowook replies, as though he isn't entirely convinced. "Your god Luzo and whatever other deity may be out there... we'll need all the help we can get."

Henry is shaking violently as he and Sungmin lower their feet into the water, his knuckles white as he clings to the riverbed as close to the wall as they can manage. Sungmin turns to look at Jongwoon and Ryeowook, who are shifting on their feet nervously nearby. "If we don't think we can make it before we run out of air, we'll let go and the current will drag us back here. If we don't come back within 10 minutes, assume we made it and follow, okay? I want to give you guys enough clearance so that if we do fall back we don't hit you."

"Okay," Jongwoon agrees, and Ryeowook smiles reassuringly at Henry. 

"See you on the other side," he comforts. Henry just nods, not trusting his mouth to let any noise other than a frightened sob out. Sungmin gives the go-ahead and they slide in up to their waist, feeling the current trying to drag them away. Sungmin guides them, still holding on to the riverbed, toward the opening on the wall where the water rushes out. 

"I'll reach in first and get a solid hold, okay? When I kick your ankle, it's safe to let go of the wall and follow. Make sure you take a deep breath," Sungmin whispers in Henry's ear, before inhaling his own mouthful of air and ducking beneath the water. After what feels like an eternity Henry feels the kick and it takes him every ounce of courage he has to let go of the wall. He focuses on not hyperventilating and in the split-second before he dives he fills his lungs with the biggest gasp of air he can manage. 

Once under the water, Henry forces his eyes open and scrambles for a hold. The bottom of the hole is just within arms reach, and there are lots of crevices for him to stick his fingers in and propel himself forward. He has only just managed to get a decent grip when he feels himself being pulled forward, Sungmin reaching with longer strides than Henry can keep up with, and he does his best not to hold the older man back.

It feels like an eternity that Sungmin half drags him along, doing his best to reach farther hand holds as he begins to feel more lightheaded, and he knows he may lose consciousness if they don’t reach the supposed end soon, hoping that Ryeowook is right and that he isn’t going to drown, trying to keep his anxiety at a manageable level and keeping his breath held, wanting nothing more than to surface soon.

He feels a stronger pull from Sungmin and then they’re surfacing, Sungmin dragging him up onto the edge of the opening as he takes in large gulps of air, choking and spitting out residual water, nearly kissing the ground as he thanks whatever god was watching over them, sending a weak smile in Sungmin’s direction and trying to silently thank the man, receiving a slightly pained tilt of lips in return.

“How’s your back?” Henry asks, worry tinging his tone as he hopes that the wounds haven’t reopened, looking forlornly at the soiled bandage keeping them connected, saturated with mud and dirt and the remnants of what could have been blood, of no use to them now. “It hasn’t re opened has it? I’m so sorry you got those because of us, if there’s anything I can do to repay you, I will.”

Sungmin waves off the concern, even though he can feel a small burning in the worst of the wounds, not wanting Henry to worry more than he has to, having seen the shadows in the young man’s eyes once and not wanting to see them again.

The two just lay there on the grass -- not entirely foreign to Sungmin but he's never seen it this _green_ , or this soft -- panting for what seems like forever and it feels like they will never catch their breath. It's still dark out and Sungmin rolls over on his back with a wince to marvel at the stars, _real stars_. If seeing them from the hole was wondrous this is absolutely breathtaking, as they seem to stretch on as far as the eye can see in every direction and what did Henry call that big, bright glowing light before, the moon? It was bigger than he remembered seeing it last night, though only slightly. 

The relief that they survived slowly turns into horror as Henry realizes first that Ryeowook and Jongwoon still haven't surfaced. He quickly untangles himself from Sungmin, clawing at the bandage around their waists and he scrambles back to the water's edge. 

"It's been longer than ten minutes," he panics. "How long did it take us to get through? It's been too long! Oh, no, please don't... please don't say..."

Sungmin forces himself to sit up, despite his protesting back, a lump growing in his throat and he has to swallow it down. "They'll make it, Henry. They just waited a little longer for us to get through," Sungmin reassures, though whether he's comforting Henry or himself he isn't sure. "They'll make it. They have to."

It is only when Henry is about to have a full-blown panic attack that Ryeowook and Jongwoon finally emerge from the water, gasping for air like they had forgotten how to breathe and choking up water. Sungmin and Henry help pull them to the bank, both of them flopping down listlessly in the grass struggling for air.

"We... had.. to start over..." Ryeowook pants. "We only made... it halfway... but the current got the best of us."

"It's my fault," coughs Jongwoon. "My hand slipped and... and I panicked."

“Don’t take all the blame, Jongwoon,” Ryeowook says through a mouthful of water, resting his head on the ground and breathing in the scent of the grass, promising himself he’ll never take it for granted again. He gives what he hopes is a smile in Jongwoon’s direction in an attempt to comfort the man’s bitter words, reaching a hand out to rest on his knee. “I panicked too, if I hadn’t then maybe we would have gotten through the first time.”

Sungmin all but tackles Jongwoon when he gets back up and finishes coughing, punching him soundly on the shoulder and pouting, trying to hide his relief with anger.

“You idiot, and here I was worried for you,” He huffs, shoulders nearly sagging in relief and enough to make him ignore the remaining pain in his back, overjoyed that his friend and Ryeowook both made it, having had a tense few minutes before. “Pay more attention next time, I’m sure you nearly crushed poor Ryeowook here when you lost your grip.”

Henry in the meantime bursts into tears, stress finally easing to a manageable level as he realizes they’re finally out, that Ryeowook’s plan actually worked and they’re all _okay_. He laughs when Ryeowook begins to fawn over him, waving off his worry and smiling through his tears, happiness beginning to return to his eyes.

“I can’t believe we actually made it, your crazy plan actually worked, Wookie,” he says with a grin, eyeing Ryeowook and Sungmin and Jongwoon with smiles as he tries to push himself off the ground, strength returning to his limbs. “And I suppose you two will be traveling with us now?”

Jongwoon looks nearly surprised when the question slips from Henry’s mouth, and watches as Sungmin opens his mouth to answer, interrupting him before the first words can escape.

“Well we certainly can’t go back there, now can we?” he says, trying to keep the memories of his family in the back of his mind, cringing a little when he thinks of how distraught his brother will be with him gone. “I’d say we’re in it for the long haul now, unless you have any other ideas, Min?”

"I..." Sungmin starts, his mouth hanging open as he realized he knew nothing about Henry and Ryeowook's world and even if they _didn't_ travel with them he would have no idea how they would sustain themselves. "I guess we'll have to, won't we?"

"You make it sound like that's a bad thing," Ryeowook chuckles, laying back with a flop in the grass, pulling Henry to lie down beside him. "Don't worry. The world up here may seem huge and daunting but really, it's not so bad. Compared to what we saw of your lives, we have a lot of blessings of our own that I never realized I took for granted."

"You make _that_ sound like it's a bad thing," Sungmin quipped with a tired laugh. "I very much enjoyed my life before you two showed up." An awkward silence falls over them, and Sungmin carefully props himself up on his elbows. "Wow, what an awful way to phrase that. I meant, I enjoyed being a fisherman and life where we're from really isn't as bad as it seemed and--"

"We get it," Henry chuckles. "We know what you meant." Sungmin huffs and lays back down. This time the quiet is much more comfortable, and they feel sleep over taking them. Just before he dozes off, Sungmin wonders something, and so he says it before it slips his mind.

"Say... before you fell down into our river... where were you two headed?" he asks. 

"The port town," Ryeowook yawns sleepily. "It's a three days' walk from the capitol, where we're from. We were about a day out of the town when the ground collapsed," he explains.

"What's a port?" Jongwoon asks, trying to stay awake to hear the rest of the conversation but his eyelids are feeling awfully heavy. 

"It's a trading town that sits near the ocean," Henry murmurs, trailing off as he succumbs to sleep. 

_Ocean_ , Sungmin thinks through the haze. He doesn't know what it is, but it sounds nice. He thinks he'll quite like it. But for now, he rolls over onto his stomach, the burn in his back fading to a dull throb as he drifts off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disoriented and tired, they must make their way to the Port Town.

“And that,” Ryeowook explains slowly, glancing at the enraptured faces with amusement, giving a genuine smile, though tinged with sleepiness. “Is the sun.”

Jongwoon and Sungmin sit slack jawed as the sun rises above the hills, casting red and yellow hues across the sky. Jongwoon lets out a hiss after a few moments of intense staring, rubbing his eyes furiously and blinking quickly, spots dotting his vision.

Henry continues sleep, light snores coming from his still form as he curls around himself, face plastered to the cool grass as the rest slowly rise from the depths of light slumber, Jongwoon having shook Ryeowook awake the moment he saw the fiery ball begin to rise in the sky, convinced that the world was ending around them.

“You mean to tell me,” He says skeptically, glancing at Ryeowook with questioning eyes, still feeling the sting of looking into the fire for too long, “That that fiery ball is what is keeping everything up here alive and growing?”

“Yes,” Ryeowook says amusedly, deciding to play teacher and taking in Sungmin’s expression of determined learning and Jongwoon’s skepticism in with no small amount of sparkle in his eyes, almost tempted to kick Henry awake so he could witness it as well. “It signals what we call ‘daytime’. And it would do well not to look into it for too long though, as I’ve see you’ve learned. You’ll go blind that way.”

“Daytime,” Sungmin says, rolling the word experimentally around his tongue. “Is that like the waking hour? Where everyone has to get up?”

“Well you don’t _have_ to, I suppose, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who would want to sleep with the sun in the face,” Ryeowook chuckles. “Most people prefer to do their work during the day but some jobs require workers at night.”

“You mean you have a choice?” Sungmin blinks incredulously. “Wow...So many things are different.”

He admires the sunrise by facing a little away from the sun, fascinated by the swirl of colors, from indigo to periwinkle to the bright eggshell blue at the very tip of the sky.

Jongwoon still isn’t entirely convinced that the world isn’t going to end. After all, how could a giant fiery mass in the sky mean anything _other_ than catastrophe? Not to mention, this invisible force keeps playing over them all, rustling the leaves and tickling the hair at the back of his neck. A particularly strong gust makes him shiver.

“It’s a little windy,” Ryeowook comments offhandedly, bursting out laughing as Jongwoon warily eyes nothing in particular. “It’s just the wind, Jongwoon. Moving air.”

Jongwoon arches an eyebrow. “But how does air just _move_ on it’s own?”

Ryeowook shrugs. “I don’t know. It just does. One of the many wonders of Earth, I guess.”

Sungmin and Jongwoon just gaze at him blankly, eyes blinking slowly, and that’s when Ryeowook sighs, repressing the small smile threatening to cross his face at any moment, not wanting to take too much amusement in the sheltered men’s lack of knowledge.

“You have no idea what Earth is, do you?” Ryeowook’s voice is gentle as he watches Jongwoon huff, not liking not knowing any of the things that Ryeowook is talking about, and Sungmin nods sagely, eager to learn all the information he can on this supposed new world.

“Of course they don’t, Wook,” Comes a sleepy voice, and Ryeowook looks over to see Henry rising with a yawn, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and then shading them from the bright rays of the sunrise, frowning at having been woken up by the commotion. “They probably think it’s something that you’re supposed to eat.”

Sungmin covers his mouth to muffle a laugh at the put out expression on Ryeowook’s face, the other man evidently having enjoyed playing their teacher and letting them in on all the marvelous secrets of the surface world.

“How nice of you to join us, sleeping beauty,” Ryeowook huffs, steadfastly ignoring Henry and turning back to Jongwoon and Sungmin, flushing a bit at their amused gazes. “But this idiot is wrong, you certainly can’t eat it. The Earth is where we stand now, and everything you can see from here, it encompasses all that we live on.”

"Even your town is on Earth," Henry chimes in. "Even though normally people live _on_ the Earth, not _in_ it. Next thing we know we'll fall off a boat in the middle of the ocean and stumble upon a colony of merfolk or something." 

Ryeowook snorts, but Sungmin's eyes light up with recognition. "Oh, I meant to ask you last night but we all fell asleep, what is the ocean?" 

"It's a huge body of water. Actually, there is more than one ocean, but they all connect to each other anyway and they cover most of the Earth. I mean, there's a _lot_ of land but almost all of the Earth is water. And we call the water oceans!" Henry rambles, waving his arms about in broad gestures to demonstrate the grandeur. Sungmin and Jongwoon exchange bewildered looks, and Ryeowook shrugs.

"He's the only one between the two of us who's seen the ocean," he explains. "He's not from the same country as I am, and I was never allowed to leave the capitol, where I'm from. Which reminds me," he continues, not noticing as Sungmin opened his mouth to ask him to explain the notion of countries, "we have never heard of your people. And clearly you didn't even know this world existed. So I wonder how we understand each other?"

"What do you mean?" Jongwoon queries, quirking his head to the side and knitting his eyebrows. "I mean, I guess since we're all men, and not demons or anything," he pauses as Sungmin knocks him in the back of the head, "why wouldn't we understand each other?"

"Because not everyone speaks the same language," replies Henry. "It took me a long time to master this one, and even still I have problems sometimes."

“Is that what you were muttering to yourself earlier?” Sungmin asks curiously, amazed that there could be more than one tongue that is spoken, let alone a whole world full of people that he was unaware of.

Henry nods and speaks a few quick words, more fluid than what usually falls upon Sungmin’s ears, and he blinks slowly, having not understood a word of it. Henry laughs and the smile reaches his eyes, patting Sungmin’s leg as if to say ‘See?’. Ryeowook watches the scene with thinly veiled humor as Jongwoon stares on as well, storing all of the new information in his head.

“As much fun as this little lesson, we should probably get a move on,” Ryeowook says finally, almost unwilling to interrupt the good naturedness having formed between them after so much hardship since knowing each other, but eager to get on the road again, and away from the Capitol. “We won’t be able to travel at night, so it’s best to try and make as much progress as we can with the sun on our side.”

“We’ll need to stop somewhere for supplies too,” He continues, looking at their combined belongings amounting to naught but the shirts on their backs, and still quite damp at that. “And if we don’t get some new clothes, then I’d wager we’ll catch our deaths.”

"What happened to that money you took when--" Henry starts, and Ryeowook stomps on his foot. "Oww! Hey, what was that for?"

"I still have it, I think," Ryeowook interrupts huffily, rummaging in his pocket and pulling out a handful of coins. He opts to count them instead of meeting Jongwoon and Sungmin's curious gazes. "Hmm... I think some of it fell out in the river though, it's less than I thought. At the very least, we should be able to afford some food, and new bandages for Sungmin. Jongwoon will probably need them too." 

Sungmin flushes a bright shade of pink. "I'm okay, really. Let's just get some clothes and food first." He makes to stand up and winces rather obviously when he straightens out. Jongwoon sighs, deciding between being amused and annoyed.

"You really have to stop playing the martyr, Min," he says, shaking his head. "It's okay to rely on others, you know." 

Sungmin bites his lip and looks away. There's an awkward silence for a bit, when Henry clears his throat to avoid the growing tenseness. "How about first of all, we figure out where on Earth we are? We can't get to the port town if we find out we're going the wrong way."

Ryeowook snorts as Henry and Jongwoon and Sungmin simply stare at each other, as if waiting for the answer to come from thin air.

“Well they certainly aren’t going to know any more than we are, Henry,” He says with a touch of laughter in his voice as they blink at him owlishly, though he admits he is a bit worried about their sense of directional peril as well, the ocean still too far to be able to tell a definite direction of where to go. “I think our safest bet is to follow the river stream until we reach a town, then we can get our supplies and find the direction of the port.”

“Though,” He pauses, a tad nervously, looking down at his feet, feeling the curious gazes of Sungmin and Jongwoon on him. “I’m afraid you three will have to do all the talking, I’m not able to be seen in any town this close to the Capitol.”

Sungmin looks ready to ask every question as to why when Henry shakes his head at him quickly, patting Ryeowook on the shoulder and avoiding the other men’s confused gazes.

“Okay,” Sungmin says slowly, eyes slightly narrowed as he sizes up Ryeowook, wondering what secrets the man holds, seeming quite secretive while they have been nothing but open, but brushes that aside. He figures Ryeowook must have his reasons, and cuts off Jongwoon when the other man looks ready to push the matter. “Henry will have to show us the ropes then, I’m afraid we won’t be much good on our own.”

Ryeowook at least has the good sense to look a little ashamed, feeling guilty for still not trusting them entirely. Even after all that Sungmin and Jongwoon have done for him, the only person he feels he can trust wholeheartedly is Henry. It's not that he _wants_ to be wary of the other men, it's just in his nature. Or so he tells himself so he can sleep at night. He stands up, dusts off his soggy pants and starts ahead of them. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go." He keeps going, walking at a slow pace while the others stand to follow.

"He's not all that bad," Henry reassures them, seeing Sungmin's creased brow and Jongwoon's suspicious frown. "Just a precocious little git sometimes," he adds with a grin.

"I heard that!" Ryeowook calls over his shoulder. Henry's grin turns sheepish and he shrugs, patting the other two on a shoulder each and pushing past them to follow Ryeowook. Sungmin and Jongwoon exchange a glance, raising eyebrows at each other, when Sungmin begins to chuckle. Jongwoon starts too, and it grows until they're both full of gut-wrenching laughter. It's so contagious that Henry starts laughing too, then Ryeowook. And Henry turns around, walking backwards and laughing. 

"Come on, then!" he calls behind, and Jongwoon and Sungmin jog to catch up with him.

...

The sun has just passed the highest point in the sky when they reach a town, small and bustling, yet easily twice the size of Jongwoon and Sungmin’s village. It’s set on the side of the river, and the buildings are more advanced than anything they’ve ever seen, spending a few moments simply gawking, eyes taking in the sights as Henry has to nearly drag them along, Ryeowook still heading the front.

Ryeowook’s head remains slightly bowed though, eyes still a little nervous as they enter town, quickly locating a clothes shop and stopping to do the calculations of the prices of clothes for four grown men in his head, cringing at the thought. He sighs before turning to the others, small frown set on his face.

“Well,” He says slowly, trying to wrench Jongwoon and Sungmin’s attention from all the fascinating sights, the people mulling around the town square beginning to give them looks, and Ryeowook absolutely cannot have that. “The good news is, we’ll be able to afford clothes and a night at the inn. The bad news is...we can’t afford anything else. Does anyone have anything worth trading?”

“How about that necklace of yours?” Jongwoon pipes up, looking in Henry’s direction and remembering the metal necklace that Sungmin has initially fished from their Sacred River. “That would be sure to bring in some coin, wouldn’t it?”

Henry looks halfway between terrified and offended and his hand flies up to his neck as though he's afraid that Jongwoon might try to take it. "I-I can't sell this," he stutters, looking near hyperventilation. "Absolutely not."

"It's the only thing he has left from his home country," Ryeowook explains quickly, giving Jongwoon a sharp _way to go genius look what you've done_ glare, before he rubs Henry's back comfortingly. "Don't worry, I would never ask you to sell that, Henry, you know that. He didn't know..." 

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! It was just a suggestion," Jongwoon apologizes, waving his arms defensively. "Really, I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry." Henry shakes his head, waving it off as he calms himself down. Sungmin frowns in thought, trying to think of something. 

"Well... if we don't trade the clothes we're wearing away, I can make a fishing net out of them," he offers. "There would be a trade in fish, no? And what we don't sell we can eat." 

Ryeowook's eyes light up. "That's brilliant! Yes, especially here, on the river, the fish that swim upstream are difficult to catch so they fetch a high price, too. It's hard to get the fishermen to peddle fresh fish this far inland."

Jongwoon sighs as Sungmin and Ryeowook chatter excitedly, dragging he and Henry into a shop and buying clothes carefully, Ryeowook shrinking away when it comes time to buy, but once outfitted in newer, drier, attire, they’re back to the river, Sungmin weaving a net out of their clothes.

He figures that it would be him to say the wrong thing and Sungmin end up being the only useful one between the two of them in the end anyway, mood dampened severely and trying to send apologetic glances Henry’s way, having genuinely not known the meaning behind the seemingly innocent piece of jewelry.

In the end they settle for sending Ryeowook, hood covering his head, and Jongwoon to the inn to haggle for a room with their remaining coin while Henry helps Sungmin with his fishing, keeping the fish in a bucket they managed to find for cheap, watching the older man work in awe.

“You mean you can’t fish either?” Sungmin chuckles, watching Henry’s eyes light up as he tosses another into the bucket, silver scales glinting in the diminishing sun and flailing about in its container. “You can’t fish or swim, yet you’re the only one whose seen this fair body of water that we’re looking for? You’re a funny one, Henry.”

Henry’s cheeks blush at Sungmin’s remark, embarrassment having him cast his head down, pouting at the grass as the other man ribs him.

“Seeing the ocean and being in the ocean are two entirely different things,” He insists, pout keeping his lips pursed as Sungmin watches him with amused eyes. “Besides, where I was born there was no water deep enough to swim in, I hadn’t even known of the ocean until-”

Henry trails off and that far away light enters his eyes again, and Sungmin senses he’s treading on thin ice yet again, setting down his make shift net to pat Henry on the head, giving the younger man a gentle look, bringing him back to the present.

"I can teach you how," he offers, reaching back down for the net to toss it out again. Henry blinks, so he clarifies. "You know, how to swim." 

"Ohhhh, no," Henry replies, nearly dropping the bucket and all of the fish with it. "There's no way you're getting me back in the water. Nearly drowning twice is quite enough for me." Sungmin laughs heartily and Henry pouts again. His cheeks puff out in a way that makes Sungmin want to pinch them. "Why are you always laughing at me..." he bemoans.

"The point of learning to swim is so that you _don't_ drown, silly," Sungmin chortles, shaking the net a bit in the water to wiggle out the tangles. "It's not really that hard. And swimming is fun, once you get used to it!" The net starts getting weighed down by fish, and Sungmin beckons Henry over to help him pull it in.

"Fun, he says," Henry mutters, taking the bit of net closest to Sungmin's hands so that the other man can reach out over the water to grab the other end. He doesn't want to fall in on accident. "Fun. Of all things, he calls it fun." Sungmin just chuckles again, shaking his head with a smile. 

"I'm going to get you in the water one of these days," Sungmin promises. "You're not going to be traveling with a fisherman and not know how to swim; that's a blow to my pride."

Henry opens his mouth to retort when Ryeowook and Jongwoon push through the trees. Ryeowook pulls the hood from over his head, eyes shining and wearing a beaming smile, while Jongwoon is sulking and muttering curses under his breath. 

"We got a room for the night!" Ryeowook announces cheerfully. "And we got it for cheap, too! And it's all thanks to Jongwoon!" he sniggers, trying not to laugh and Jongwoon's expression only darkens. Sungmin raises an eyebrow, and he scowls.

"Don't ask," he sniffs indignantly. Of course, Henry and Sungmin are curious, and Ryeowook is more than eager to tell them regardless of if they asked or not.

Ryeowook laughs as Jongwoon remains still as a statue, lips curled in a snarl and looking quite disgusted.

“We happened to find Jongwoon’s talent, charming the ladies,” Ryeowook says playfully, ignoring the disdainful glare that Jongwoon shoots him in favor of continuing, watching Sungmin muffle a chuckle behind his hand. “One look at his pretty face and the room numbers just kept falling, I’d wager if he’d taken her ‘offer’ then we would have been able to stay for free.”

Sungmin laughs so hard that tears begin to stream from his eyes, Jongwoon shooting daggers at him the entire time as Henry looks on sympathetically, muffling a snicker with his sleeve while Jongwoon isn’t looking, still finding humor in it despite pitying the man.

“You wouldn’t believe how many unholy people there are around here,” Jongwoon grumbles under his breath, glaring at Sungmin and Ryeowook, bot men laughing at him. “She had to have been at least twice my age, and propositioning me in public! The nerve!”

“Someone’s a prude,” Ryeowook teases, poking at Jongwoon’s shoulder as he watches the other man bristle, frown still pulling at his lips and face pouting as he begins to look almost offended. “What does it matter anyway, we’ve found your talent, Jongwoon!”

“Oh be nice to him, Ryeowook,” Sungmin says, amusement still filling his tone, ignoring the baleful looks that Jongwoon casts his way, nearly sending him into another spiral of laughter. “We can’t all be exhibitionists like you must be, oh how I pity your future wife.”

Ryeowook suddenly stops laughing, flinching and turning paper white. Sungmin almost doesn't catch it, so caught up in making good fun at his friend, until Ryeowook chuckles nervously, his smile a bit too wide and forced. "Yes, well..." he starts, not exactly sure of how he is supposed to reply to that. The mood seems to be completely tempered, but Henry takes pity on his friend and drapes an arm around his shoulder, elbowing him playfully in the gut.

"Are you kidding me, do you really see Ryeowook ever marrying? He looks too much like a girl to start with," he jests. Jongwoon snorts gleefully, glad to finally not be the butt of the jokes, when Henry adds, "In fact, he would probably _be_ the wife in a relationship. Wouldn't you like to marry this blushing bride, Jongwoon?" 

Sungmin can't help but start howling with laughter at the look on not only Jongwoon's face, but Ryeowook's too, doubling over and clutching at his ribs. Henry cackles right along with him, Ryeowook blushing furiously (almost proving Henry's point) and Jongwoon refusing to meet the man's gaze. Finally when Henry and Sungmin stop laughing, Sungmin wiping tears from his eyes, the mood sobers up slightly, but not as tense as it was moments before.

"It's getting late, we should probably start heading back to the inn," Sungmin pants, still catching his breath from laughing so much. "Oh, and did you two get directions to the port town?"

Jongwoon frowns and shakes his head as Ryeowook blushes slightly, having forgotten that detail entirely while jabbing fun at Jongwoon, directions having slipped his mind in favor of merriment.

“No,” He says with a tinge of embarrassment, “But we can always get them before we turn in tonight, I’d wager she’d be happy to tell Jongwoon anything he asked. But first we had better go haggle away Sungmin’s catch before it gets too late, we don’t want the stalls to have closed and let his hard work have gone to waste.”

Jongwoon squawks at the comment, cursing under his breath and pouting petulantly, turning around in a huff and not waiting for the others to catch up to him, hearing the chime of Sungmin’s laughter behind him as he gathers his catch, and Ryeowook gives him quick instructions on how to sell for the highest price, warning him against taking too little coin for such quality fish.

Sungmin nods, soaking up Ryeowook’s every word with determined eyes, wanting to be sure that he does everything he should in order to help them to the best of his ability, looking all a loyal puppy as Ryeowook instructs him.

Henry chuckles at the image, and wonders how just a few days ago these people were strangers, having felt now like he knew the men for half his life.

...

"I can't believe the nerve of that woman!" Ryeowook exclaims, throwing himself onto one of the cots when they finally make it back to the inn for the night. "Half a pence for each fish, as if I would ever let you sell them for that much!" 

"I... really have no idea how much they're worth," Sungmin deadpans, setting the smelly pail in the corner of the room farthest away from where they will sleep. "But is it really worth getting so worked up over? I mean, she ended up offering more in the end."

"That's not the point!" Ryeowook nearly shouts, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "What she was offering, that was _insulting_!" 

"He's really inscrupulous when it comes to getting deals sometimes," Henry whispers into Jongwoon's ear, the older man staring wide-eyed at the normally collected Ryeowook (or, as collected as he's been in the time that he's known him). "He knows how to pinch a penny or two."

"I can see that," Jongwoon whispers back, somewhat awed by the younger man's change in demeanor. Before Ryeowook can go on a tangent, there's a knock at the door. Henry rolls over his cot and opens the door, revealing the inn keeper who gave them the discount.

"I have some bathwater pumped for our guests," she offers, looking directly at Jongwoon with a bit of a dreamy expression. "You're more than welcome to come down and clean up before you all turn in for the night."

Jongwoon looks back warily, nervous of the stars dancing in the women’s eyes, laughing nervously as she enthusiastically offers to pump his bath and wash his back for him.

“That’s quite alright-”

“We would love to,” Ryeowook interrupts, looking at Jongwoon with a strange gleam in his eyes, ignoring the pleading looks sent in his direction from Jongwoon, feeling the mental pain emanating off the poor man. “Thank you, Miss.”

“Follow me then,” She says, starry eyes glued to Jongwoon as she all but leaps across the room to grab his arm and pull him to the adjacent bath house, Ryeowook and Sungmin following along with amusement, Henry the only one seeming to pity Jongwoon. “I assure you that everything is free of charge, provided with your room.”

“I hate you all,” Jongwoon hisses, looking back with a glare as he’s tugged along, woman’s grip seeming strong as steel on his wrist, unwavering and a bit worrisome. He becomes white as a sheet when they enter the bathhouse, watching Ryeowook and Sungmin still snicker at him, absorbing Henry’s sympathetic gaze gratefully. “Except for you, Henry. You’re my favorite.”

Henry beams at Jongwoon, and Ryeowook finally takes pity on Jongwoon, gently unlatching the woman’s hand from Jongwoon’s wrist and thanking her for the guide and the offer, ushering her out the door quickly as she sputters, bursting out laughing the moment she’s out of sight.

"If you need anything, all you need to do is send for me and I'll be happy to help!" she exclaims as Ryeowook nods and thanks her and shuts the screen door shut as she forlornly looks over his shoulder, catching a last glimpse at Jongwoon. Laughing to himself as he heads back, he sheds his shirt and folds it neatly, sitting it on a chair so that it doesn't get wet -- it _is_ his only shirt left, after all. 

Ryeowook has started to shed his trousers when he realizes Jongwoon and Sungmin and even Henry haven't moved at all. Henry is just crouched by the tub, playing amusedly with one of the fluffy towels the inn keeper set out for them, while Sungmin and Jongwoon are pointedly looking at anything but him, a pink tinge to their faces.

"Oh come off it, we're all men," he sighs exasperatedly. "And you, Henry, don't think you're getting off the hook that easily. We haven't bathed in _days_ , and we were stuck in the bottom of a well and swam through a raging river and you're taking a bath whether you like it or not."

Henry wrinkles his nose petulantly. "But I don't wanna," he whines. "You know I don't like water."

"You aren't going to drown in three feet of water, you big baby," Ryeowook teases. "Come on, the faster you get in the faster you can get out. Now, strip." Sungmin chokes on air and Jongwoon just blushes harder. "You two really are prudes..." Ryeowook mutters, shedding the last of his clothes and putting a hand on his hip, standing in all his naked glory. "Do you want to clean yourselves up or not?"

"We aren't prudes," Jongwoon says in their defense, reluctantly popping the buttons on his vest and seeing Sungmin do the same. "Men just don't bathe together in our town. That's something that a husband and wife did together, usually once they'd bathed the children."

An awkward silence falls upon them for a moment before Henry starts to snicker, watching the other men pointedly avoid his and Ryeowook’s eyes as they strip down, looking extremely uncomfortable and ready to bolt to the bath. Ryeowook shares an amused glance with Henry before letting out a small laugh himself, wondering just how old fashioned the men’s village was, it being common place to have bathhouses such as this on the surface.

“Well Ryeowook _is_ your blushing bride, is he not, Jongwoon?” Henry teases lightly, watching Jongwoon sputter and cheeks pinken, muttering about not being able to catch a break tonight. Ryeowook just puts his head in his hands, mourning that the water will probably be freezing by the time they make it into it. “You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable at all!”

“I take it back, you’re not my favorite anymore, Henry,” Jongwoon mumbles, stomping off angrily into the bath, uncaring as his clothes fall into a messy pile on the floor, towel barely covering enough to be called decent. Sungmin laughs and follows, feeling more at ease as time goes by, shooting a grin Henry’s way for the teasing.

Ryeowook sighs and goes about folding Sungmin and Jongwoon’s remaining clothes, spread haphazardly on the floor, shooing Henry sternly to the bath, finding the other’s childish dislike of water almost amusing, taking a moment to enjoy the warmth of the room before heading in after him, a swing in his hips and a smile on his face.

...

The moon shines in through the window, casting soft light in the room. Jongwoon and Sungmin are fast asleep on the cot nearest the window, and Ryeowook lay face up, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. He thinks Henry is asleep, too, until the other boy calls out to him.

"Ryeowook? Are you sleeping?" Henry whispers, so as not to wake the others. Ryeowook turns his head to face the youngest, who is turned over on his side facing him. Even in the dark Ryeowook can see there's something that's bothering him, eyes shining with something akin to uncertainty. He scoots over and pats the cot beside him softly, and Henry scampers out of bed and crawls onto the cot with Ryeowook. 

"What is it, Henry?" Ryeowook asks gently, turning so that he can look at Henry proper. Henry bites his lip, eyes glancing down at the buttons on Ryeowook's shirt. 

"Do you really think we're going to manage this?" he murmurs, voice sounding terribly small. "We'll make it to the port town, right? They won't find us?" 

Ryeowook's heart sinks at Henry's question, because he doesn't know the answer. But he can't let Henry know that. So as confidently as he can manage, he smiles. "We'll be okay, Henry. They're looking for only two people together. With Sungmin and Jongwoon with us, our chances are better."

"Still... I feel like we're using them," Henry confesses. "They've helped us so much and asked only for us to help them make it. They don't know anything but what we've taught them, Ryeowook. It doesn't feel right, keeping them in the dark."

Ryeowook is quiet for a long time, withering under Henry's gaze. "I... we'll tell them, Henry. Not right now, but we'll tell them," he finally whispers. "Let's just get the to port first, okay? We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." 

"...Okay," Henry agrees, not sounding entirely convinced. Ryeowook ruffles his hair lightly, getting a small smile from the younger boy.

"I know I've not been the greatest friend for you lately, Henry, but I'll take care of you better from now on. You can believe that." Henry nods mutely, making to go back to his own cot, but Ryeowook catches him by the wrist and pulls him back down. "We haven't done this since we were kids," Ryeowook explains at Henry's inquiring look. "And I miss my human teddy bear." Henry grins and lays back down, letting Ryeowook pull the blanket over them.

...

They set off early in the morning, stopping only to briefly ask the inn keeper for directions, Henry doing the talking in lieu of Jongwoon’s fear of her leers at him, worrying for his own safety and health in the face of a woman’s lust.

As luck has it, they aren’t too far off the mark and are a mere day and a half’s travel from the port, Henry taking in the directions with the look of utmost seriousness on his face, relaying them to Ryeowook and watching as the man pulls out a newly purchased compass, guiding them out of town and back to the well worn traveller’s road, Jongwoon and Sungmin settling behind.

Travel passes quickly, filled with chatter and teasing as they make their way down the near eerily calm roads, stopping only for sleep and meals, Ryeowook and Henry merely shrugging when Jongwoon questions why they must keep such a pace, and while it doesn’t really sit well with him, he lets it slide. 

“All men have secrets,” He says softly one night while all but he and Ryeowook are asleep, settled on a grassy hill and thankful this supposed ‘winter’ in which the temperature drops dramatically, according to Ryeowook anyway, hasn’t come around yet, settling himself of the grass with his hands serving as pillows behind his head. “I trust you would tell us if they begin to have direct effect on what we’re trying to accomplish. We’ll just wait.”

Ryeowook feels a pang of guilt and bits his lip at Jongwoon’s words, but wagers that there’s nothing he can do and there’s no reason for them to know yet, so he simply nods hesitantly at the other man, mumbling a quick _I’m sorry_ before turning on his back, letting his eyes drift shut.

He misses Jongwoon’s soft sigh, and even softer reply of _There’s no need_.

....

The next morning brings a dark, heavy sky, foreshadowing rain. Ryeowook is suddenly very glad he insisted they all buy traveling cloaks, despite the warm weather; at least this way they wouldn't be _completely_ drenched in the storm. It's only when the first drops come falling down, however, that he remembers Sungmin and Jongwoon have never seen rain before. And he only remembers because Sungmin starts panicking. 

"What is this?" the fisherman gasps in horror. "Why are the heavens crying?"

Henry snorts and Ryeowook tries and fails to stifle a laugh, and before either of them can open their mouths to explain the sky opens up and a torrential downpour starts hailing down on them. Jongwoon lets out a noise too similar to a shriek for comfort and darts under the nearest tree, Sungmin stumbling close behind him. 

"Luzo is finally punishing us for defecting," Jongwoon breathes, wide-eyed and white as a sheet as he peers up at the sky. "Oh heavenly father, forgive us for our sins. Spare us from your holy wrath."

"I don't know that any amount of prayer is going to help us this time, Jongwoon," Sungmin stammers, his fingers clasped together anyway. 

"Guys," Ryeowook chuckles as Henry is doubled over, literally crying in laughter (though it's hard to tell because the rain is streaming down his face in rivulets, plastering his bangs to his forehead). "It's just rain."

He gets equally terrified wide eyed looks and has to refrain from laughing too hard, trying to be understanding of their lack of knowledge and Henry ruining his calm façade completely, hands clutching his stomach and nearly cackling.

“And this is...common?” Jongwoon asks skeptically, hands still clutched together in prayer and muttering under his breath, looking at the pitch colored clouds in the sky with something akin to horror, Sungmin doing the same beside him. 

“Quite,” Ryeowook says, hoping that this religious episode ends quickly and they can get back to traveling soon, knowing the port town to be close and not wanting to have more time in the rain than absolutely necessary, not wanting any of them to catch sick. “It all depends on where you live really, I’d imagine it’s so heavy right now because we’re so close to the ocean.”

“So, we aren’t going to die then?” Sungmin asks slowly, flinching as the droplets rebound off his face, looking at them with a sort of fascination as they fall, Henry pulling the hood over his head when it becomes apparent that Sungmin isn’t going to do it or move out of the torrent any time soon.

Ryeowook chuckles and shakes his head, dragging Jongwoon back onto the path as well and attempting to hurry them towards the town, seeing the edge of the gates over the horizon on the road. They’ve barely travelled twenty feet though when Henry stops dead, bringing the lot of them to a halt.

“Henry?” Ryeowook says curiously, looking over the younger man’s shoulder to see the horizon, town within sight. “Why have you stopped?”

“They’ve set up a barrier,” Henry whispers back, and Ryeowook curses under his breath. He should have anticipated something like this, but he didn’t think that they’d catch on that fast, figuring he’d have a few more days leeway. “We’re going to either get in some other way, or find some way of hiding Ryeowook while still going in legally.”

"Legally?" Jongwoon echoes incredulously. "Have you done something that would make them suspect you of illegal activity?"

"No," Ryeowook replies honestly. "It's not that they don't want to let me in; they just want to keep me out. Damn it, we wasted too much time..." He and Henry push the other two back just enough so that the gate is beyond their sight; Ryeowook doesn't want them getting caught while they're coming up with a plan.

Sungmin furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "That's the same thing," he says slowly, working the words around in his head just to make sure he hasn't misunderstood. Henry shakes his head.

"Not exactly. They probably have orders to send us back to the Capitol. Which isn't happening," he adds resolutely, seeing the brief look of apprehension cross Ryeowook's face. "So, what's it gonna be? I personally am about as subtle as a brick to the head, so sneaking in somewhere else isn't an option. We'll have to get through the guards somehow." 

"How? Even if I cover my face they're going to ask me to take the hood off before they let us through," Ryeowook sighs, running a hand through his hair , which has grown rather long and unruly in the past weeks, in frustration. Sungmin regards him for a moment, and his eyes light up as an idea strikes him. 

"That's it!" he exclaims softly, effectively getting their attention. "Hear me out on this one guys," he starts, and not only Ryeowook, but Jongwoon too, gets a sinking feeling at the gleam in Sungmin's eye. He explains his plan, Ryeowook looking increasingly horrified and Jongwoon increasingly annoyed with his friend. Henry, however, listens, rapt.

"That has to work," he agrees once Sungmin finishes. Ryeowook gapes like a fish out of water between Henry and Sungmin.

"No, no, no," he stutters. "Absolutely not, there's no way you're getting me to--"

"Do you have another plan?" Henry interrupts sharply. Ryeowook pauses mid-argument, letting his mouth hang open for a moment before closing it, scowling at Henry. Sungmin gives a pleading look to Jongwoon, eyes begging him to go along with it. 

"Come on, Jongwoon, please? If this works, this is the plan with least resistance," he pesters.

"Just for the record," Jongwoon states curtly, "I do not like this. One bit."

. . .

Jongwoon shifts nervously on his feet as they hurry their way to the gate into town, eyeing the barricade with slight anxiety and pondering all the ways that this plan of Sungmin’s could go wrong. He tightens his arm warningly around Ryeowook’s waist when he hears low grumbles about masculinity, and hushes him right before they reach the guards, putting on an expression of worry and concern, matching that of Sungmin and Henry’s.

“Halt!” The first guard booms, coming up to them and looking suspiciously, perusing over each of their faces and pausing on Ryeowook’s, shrouded by his hood. “What is your business here?”

Henry looks frantic, and widens his eyes with worry and anxiety as he speaks to the guard, a tone of urgency entering his voice.

“Please let us go in, Sir,” He pleads, gesturing to Ryeowook and making himself look as pathetic as possible, rain already done half the battle, hair plastered to his face and clothes soaked to the bone. “My sister, Ryeona, has fallen ill in the rain, you must let us through so that we may seek shelter!”

The guard looks skeptical as Henry speaks with him, lowering his head to peek under Ryeowook’s hooded face, seeing only the tendrils of his red hair curling behind his ears. He has to repress a snarl at ‘Ryeona’ but figures it could be worse and simply stands looking frail, leaning into Jongwoon’s side pitifully. The guard looks about ready to demand for more when Ryeowook sags into Jongwoon’s arms, giving a dainty sigh of faked pain.

Jongwoon gathers him into his arms and puts on the best face of worried anger he can manage, almost a little worried at how light Ryeowook is in his arms in the first place, and hoping that they will be able to get away with this much.

“Sir, you need to let us in,” He says harshly, but with enough desperation that it doesn’t sound like he’s really ordering the guard to do anything, cradling Ryeowook further against his chest to hide his face. “My wife’s condition only worsens the longer we stand here, I fear her fever may be getting higher even now.”

He leans down on the guise of testing the temperature of Ryeowook’s forehead, brushing his lips over it gently before looking back up to the guard, ignoring the strange feeling it ignites in his chest, seeing the man nod for them to be given entrance, and directions to the town pharmacist, even though Jongwoon really has no idea what that means.

Ryeowook shivers when Jongwoon’s lips touch his skin, gentle and warm and contrasting to the cool that had settled there from the rain, and he tell’s himself that it’s merely the contrasting temperatures, but something inside him warms as Jongwoon barely kisses his forehead, and he simply lets his head lull into the other man’s chest, perhaps a bit more than he should, blush fierce across his cheeks. That wasn’t exactly part of the plan.

The guard doesn't need telling twice, buying their story, hook line and sinker. Jongwoon slips an arm beneath Ryeowook's knees, the younger man letting himself go limp as Jongwoon scoops him off his feet. His head rolls inward toward Jongwoon's chest, shielding his face from the view of the guard as they hurry past him, Henry and Sungmin not letting down their worried facades until the guard is far behind him.

As soon as they're well out of sight, Ryeowook all but squirms out of Jongwoon's arms, flushing furiously and muttering about how he's _a man, damn it... being carried like a bride on her wedding day..._ Jongwoon is oddly quiet, even ignoring Sungmin, who is waggling his eyebrows suggestively at him.

"Don't look so glum, Wook!" Henry pipes cheerfully. "Sungmin's plan worked! We got you in safely and you make a very beautiful woman. It's a win-win situation!"

Ryeowook splutters and huffs. "Shut it, you. Let's just get out of this rain. If I remember correctly, the house we're looking for is right on the water's edge..." He pulls out the compass, gives it a quick tap, and then beckons them to follow. "Come on."

Henry pokes and teases Ryeowook as they go along, ducking through alleyways and generally staying off of the main roads. Sungmin teases Jongwoon, as well, but he can't seem to get the usual rise out of the older man, and he pouts childishly. But he figures Jongwoon must still be really embarrassed about having to play the role of the concerned husband and lets the matter drop.

Jongwoon stays stoic as they make their way through the damp and dreary alleys, eyes avoiding Ryeowook at all costs and ignoring Sungmin’s usual ribbing when something like this happens, trying not to focus on Ryeowook, small in his arms, or Ryeowook, forehead chilled under his lips, Ryeowook in general.

He’s on the verge of a small mental meltdown until he nearly runs into Henry’s back, group having stopped dead in front of him, and a small cottage sitting to their left. It’s then that he hears Sungmin’s gasp, eyes finally sliding from the ground to look ahead of him, breath catching in his throat and eyes going wide.

The ocean lies not one hundred feet from them, waters lapping roughly at the shore and the fishing boats visible far on the horizon, even in the pouring rain. Sungmin gazes in wonder at the white crested waves, jaw nearly hitting the floor and unbothered by the continuing torrent descending upon his head as he looks, never having seen so much water in one place his entire life.

“It’s beautiful,” He whispers, admiring the dark waters, even seeing Ryeowook gaze at them appreciatively before trying to herd them into the nearby cottage, away from the rain. He smiles at Sungmin and Jongwoon’s almost childlike amazement though, flush finally fading from his cheeks as he pushes his mind to other matters. “Imagine all the fish in such a great gathering of water, it’s amazing!”

It's breathtaking and awe-inspiring and terrifying all at the same time, Jongwoon thinks. Maybe this ocean is a deity in and of itself -- graceful, yet demanding respect or else you'll be swallowed whole. He finally tears his gaze away from the sea as he nearly runs into a doorpost, Ryeowook gripping him firmly by the wrist and dragging him inside.

"Well, you certainly know how to make a spectacular entrance," an amused voice laughs from in the room, and Jongwoon and Sungmin realize they aren't alone. There's a man sitting on the sofa, oil lamp burning on the side table the only light in the room. He's tan and muscular and his hair is the shade of sand and he looks about Sungmin's age.

"Oh, hush, Donghae," Ryeowook mutters, pushing his sopping hair out of his face as he sheds his outer cloak.

"How polite of you, I welcome you to my home and you bark orders at me and bring uninvited guests. Not that you aren't welcome," this Donghae adds, nodding with a kind smile and sparkling eyes at Sungmin, then Jongwoon, "but a little bit of warning would have been nice."

"Things happened," Henry shrugs, shaking his head like a wet dog. Sungmin and Jongwoon keep their mouths shut, unsure of how they're going to be introduced or how they're to tell their story. "It's a long story."

"I've got time. It's been a while since this house was this full of company," Donghae laughs, standing from the sofa in search of extra chairs. "There's some ale in the cellar if you're up for it, but you'll have to brave the storm to get to it."

"As if we aren't already completely soaked. We'll need the warmth of it if we don't want to die of a cold," Ryeowook deadpans with a playful roll of his eyes, making for the door. "Oh, by the way, this is Sungmin and Jongwoon. Guys, this is Lee Donghae, a very close friend and one of the very few people I trust."

Donghae looks ready to respond when Jongwoon interrupts him, Ryeowook’s comment having struck something inside of him.

“Unlike us?” Jongwoon lets slip before he can stop it, and listens to the awkward silence that follows, biting his lip and cursing his inability to keep his mouth shut sometimes, blaming his still fogged mind. “Sorry, continue.”

Donghae simply waves Jongwoon off though, laughing and sending a sparkling grin in their direction, ignoring the frown on Ryeowook’s face in favor of addressing them, watching Henry scamper off to get the ale, dragging a protesting Sungmin along with him.

“You’re a fiery one, aren’t you?” Donghae questions in Jongwoon’s direction, setting up the wicker chairs as he finds them and eyeing Ryeowook closely before turning back, looking at Jongwoon with a slightly serious gaze. Jongwoon finds himself slightly wary of this man, emotions changing so quickly. “You might be good for him.”

Jongwoon looks ready to question the vague comment when Henry and Sungmin return, barrels of ale in hand as Ryeowook shakes his head and enters the kitchen for mugs, shivering as the wet clothes weigh down heavy on him, eager for something to warm all of their spirits.

“So,” Sungmin says slowly when they settle in around the lamp, jumping as a strange sound booms outside the cottage, hoping that it’s a natural phenomenon that he’s yet to be taught about and not the end of the world. “Are you letting us stay here then, Donghae?”

"Actually, it's really not up to me anymore. It's Ryeowook's place now," Donghae replies, face completely serious. Henry chokes on his ale in mid-swig, and not surprisingly, Sungmin and Jongwoon exchange confused glances, completely lost.

"Ehh?" Henry stammers, wiping his dripping chin with the back of his sleeve. "Didn't you just say it was yours...?"

Donghae lightens up, laughing heartily and Sungmin wonders why he keeps jumping back and forth. Such a strange fellow. "I was only joking before. In all honesty, though, I'm giving this house to Ryeowook."

"Selling it to me," Ryeowook corrects, not even looking up from his pint, taking a long swig. For such a small man, he can hold an amazing amount of liquor, Jongwoon realizes, as he's already going for a refill. Donghae frowns.

"I told you, I'm not taking your money, Wook," he insists. "This place belonged to my father and if I let you pay me for it he would be rolling over in his grave. He absolutely loved you to pieces."

"Yes, well, I also made a promise to the man to take care of you," Ryeowook counters. "Younger or not." Donghae scowls and makes to argue, but Ryeowook cuts him off. "I've already arranged for you to get the gold when you make it back to the Capitol, no point in trying to argue with me, Donghae. You know you won't win."

Donghae sulks for a moment, looking ready to protest again before he sighs, taking a long swig of ale and shrugging his shoulders, looking at Ryeowook with a pout on his face.

“There’s really no deterring you, is there, Wook?” He says amusedly, turning sparkling eyes on Ryeowook as Henry sulks, feeling out of the loop on this plan and taking it out on his mug, swirling the liquid around in it as opposed to actually drinking it. “Even when we were kids, once you set your mind to something, it happened. I remember the days when-”

“Okay old timer, no one wants to hear your reminiscing,” Ryeowook cuts in, glad to at least see that Donghae still has the sparkle in his eye, shoulder sagging in relief that he doesn’t have to push the issue too much. He really wouldn’t have been able to accept this cottage for free and sent Donghae on his way, no matter what his old friend said. “Why don’t you just show us where we can hang our clothes to dry and our sleeping arrangements?”

Donghae huffs and Sungmin smiles a little, having been mostly silent since entering, still thinking of the storm raging and this so called ocean, chill beginning to set into his bones and he hopes there will be some available blankets, shivering lightly under the wet material. He takes another large swig of ale and feels the warmth pool back in his stomach, thanking whatever forces may remain that they at least have a warm roof over their heads tonight.

“Are you calling me a bad host, Wook?” Donghae pouts, sulking when the silence speaks volumes, and sighing before continuing. “Well I’ll be gone as soon as the storm clears enough for traveling anyway, so you won’t have to worry about me much longer. And there are two bedrooms, spilt them up how you’d like and I’ll take the chair for tonight.”

"By the way..." he continues, tilting his head thoughfully. "I _was_ being serious when I said I wished you'd told me ahead of time to expect more people. There's only two beds between you all so you're either going to have to have one person sleep on the floor or share until you can get out to get more." Now it was everyone's turn to choke on their ale, not just Henry. Donghae simply raises his eyebrow in an amused manner. "Well, what'd you expect? I'm not a magician you know."

The four of them exchange brief looks , slowly setting down their ale before all dashing for the bedrooms, each seeking to lay claim to the two beds. Donghae chortles under his breath, stretching out and kicking his feet up on the low table and shaking his head. "And Hyukjae calls _me_ childish."

...

 

"I can't believe I got stuck sleeping with you," Ryeowook mutters, his back turned to Jongwoon as he's sandwiched between the wall and the other man.

"It's not my fault that Sungmin already knew I sleeptalk!" Jongwoon exclaims, his back also to Ryeowook, trying not to fall off the edge of the tiny bed. "Jongjin used to tease me about it all the time. Sungmin never let me live it down."

Ryeowook just shrugs nonchalantly. "Great, so now _I'm_ going to lose sleep. Remind me to beat up Sungmin tomorrow and reclaim Henry as my human teddy bear." He makes to pull the blanket up higher over his shoulder, yanking most of it away from Jongwoon.

"Will you cut it out? You keep stealing my blankets," Jongwoon complains, trying to yank them back from Ryeowook's unyielding fingers.

"Then quit squashing me against the wall," Ryeowook retorts, wiggling himself some more room on the bed. Jongwoon feels their backsides brush each other and it startles him how violently he shivers, hoping that Ryeowook didn't notice. When the younger man finally stops moving, he gives the blanket another tug and this time it comes clean off Jongwoon. He forces a frustrated sigh and rolls over, ending up hovering over Ryeowook because of their proximity.

"What is your _problem_?" he snarls, meeting Ryeowook's defiant gaze. "You've been either avoiding me or snapping at me since we got here and I'd like to know what I've done wrong?"

"Hmm, I don't know, maybe the fact that I keep getting ragged on constantly," Ryeowook bites out. "I don't appreciate being called a woman, let alone treated like one. And then you _had_ to go and kiss me, was that really necessary?"

"So that's what's bothering you, the fact that I acted out my part of the plan in order to keep you from getting caught for a reason you find inconvenient to tell me?" Jongwoon retorts. He's angry and hurt, though why he can't really fathom. And then he says something that surprises himself just as much as it does Ryeowook. "And no, I didn't kiss you, I checked your temperature. If I had kissed you, believe me, you would have known." And he swoops down and captures Ryeowook's lips with his own for a fierce but brief kiss. Ryeowook doesn't have time to do anything but stare before Jongwoon is pulling back, eyes and cheeks alight with color. "There, now you have the right to complain about me kissing you."

Ryeowook is still for a very long time, eyes wide with shock, and it's long enough for Jongwoon to realize what he's done. _Oh, heavens, what have I done, this is so wrong oh no oh no oh no_ and he makes to scurry from the bed, muttering something about sleeping on the floor in the sitting room, when Ryeowook catches his wrist.

"Stay," the younger man murmurs. Jongwoon freezes, now his turn to stare like a wounded deer, and Ryeowook lowers his eyes, pretty blush painting his cheeks. "I... I'm sorry. Maybe I didn't mind you kissing me as much as I thought."

Jongwoon's breath hitches in his throat as Ryeowook pulls him back down on top of him, hands straying up his bicep to come to rest around his neck. Ryeowook smiles tentatively before leaning his head up to kiss him awkwardly, their noses bumping and clearly neither are very experienced at this. Jongwoon doesn't know what to do with his hands, so he settles for tracing down the younger man's torso and resting on his hips. His thumb accidentally brushes dangerously low on Ryeowook's hip and the young man squeaks, giving Jongwoon the opportunity to push his tongue in, tracing the outside of his lips before slipping in past his teeth. A moan escapes one of them, maybe both, Jongwoon isn't sure, but what he _is_ sure is that he loves the way his name falls from Ryeowook's pretty lips, especially as his hand strays further south and--

_"Jongwoon!"_

Jongwoon sits up with a snap, feeling awfully hot and clammy, and Sungmin is propped up next to him, his face a mask of concern for his friend. He pants to catch his breath, Sungmin's call for him scaring the life from him.

"Jongwoon, are you all right? You were panting and moaning in your sleep," Sungmin whispers worriedly. Jongwoon turns a bright shade of red and he's glad he isn't facing his friend because he's certain that it would be visible even in the dark and he doesn't feel like explaining anything to Sungmin. He doesn't even know what he would say, what _could_ he say to explain such an unholy dream? Surely even Sungmin would be disgusted with him.

"I-I'm fine," Jongwoon grits out. Sungmin doesn't buy it for a second.

"It wasn't a nightmare, was it? Do you want to talk about it?" he pushes. Jongwoon has to resist the urge to choke on air and forces his suddenly paper-dry mouth to work.

"Ye-yeah, it was a nightmare, that's all. No big deal, just go back to sleep, Min." He throws back the covers and swings his legs over the side of the bed, reaching to pull his finally-dry shirt on over his head.

"Where are you going?" Sungmin questions with a frown.

"Just for some fresh air. Really, I'm fine," Jongwoon insists. "Just drop it okay?"

Sungmin doesn't look ready to drop it but Jongwoon doesn't stick around long enough to hear anything else. Quietly, he tiptoes past Donghae, who is asleep on the sofa, and slips out the front door. The rain has finally stopped and the sea is calm, even more breathtaking under the starlight. Jongwoon makes his way over and plops down in the sand, staring up at the sky. His little 'problem' is still there, however, and how he managed to get out without Sungmin noticing is beyond him. He sighs.

"I really _am_ going to hell," he sighs.

The waves lap calmly onto the shore, and Jongwoon frowns pitifully, wondering _why him_. He tries to remember his teachings, anything to take his mind away from his 'nightmare', aptly named as far as he's concerned, but all that comes to mind is the fresh memory of the Ryeowook in his dream, mouth pliant under his own and body so so warm against his. He swears and picks up a stone in the sand, tossing it with all his might, and sulking.

_All this unholiness must be rubbing off on me,_ he thinks with some amusement, sinking another rock. He desperately hopes this is a one time occurrence, pent up hormones simply unleashing themselves on the nearest object of possible affection.

He buries his head on his knees, face on fire as the images still remain fresh in his mind. Somehow, he thinks going to hell is a bit more likely at this point.

...

Sungmin simply blinks as Jongwoon all but flees from the room, stuttering and mumbling to himself. He hopes his friend is okay, but something tells him that he shouldn't go after him. Instead, he settles for wandering out to see if anyone else has woken, eager to see if he would be able to fish on one of those large crafts he saw floating on the ocean the previous night, wanting to be of use. He figures that if he will be using Ryeowook's surely hard earned money to stay here, then he should at least be able to help out with what he can, even if it's only simple fishing.

He makes it out to the sitting room, wondering why on earth no one else has woken yet because the stars are already so bright out, surely it must be time to wake up, even without the chime of the water clock he is so accustomed to. As he looks for a kitchen he can use to start preparing a decent meal for everyone, he stumbles over one of the wicker chairs, waking Donghae with a start.

"What on Earth are you doing awake at this hour?" Donghae grumbles, voice husky from sleep and running a hand through his already mussed up hair.

"Um, isn't it time to get up?" Sungmin offers, righting the sideways chair. Donghae gives him a very _are you actually being serious_ look.

"God, no, it must be two or three in the morning, the sun doesn't rise for another four hours yet," Donghae blanches, regarding Sungmin with a look that tells him he certainly believes he's being sarcastic. "And I would like to be _asleep_ for the remainder of those four hours."

_Ahhh, the sun_ , Sungmin remembers, a bit belatedly and he grins sheepishly. "Right. Um, I'll just go back to sleep then. Sorry for disturbing you." He high-tails it back to the bedroom he was sharing with Jongwoon, shutting the door with a soft click. Donghae stares incredulously at the door, before shaking his head and letting it fall back onto the arm of the sofa.

"What a strange man," he mutters, willing himself back to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As life settles down, friends become closer, and some secrets are shared.

“So those boats,” Sungmin says excitedly rolling the word around on his tongue and standing on the shore with Henry, the other man laughing into his hand as Sungmin’s eyes sparkle, gazing out in awe at the boats on the morning horizon, lines and nets set out already, pulling large hulls from the deep water. “Are used to fish?”

“They are, crews go out just about every day,” Henry explains, pointing out the dock not far from them, boats of all sizes docked there and bobbing in the gentle waves, fisherman coming and going into town. “I’m sure you could get on a boat too, Sungmin, you seem like quite the fisherman.”

Sungmin swells with pride at Henry’s comment, curling his feet into the sand below and giggling slightly at the strange feeling of it, stepping forward until the sand is damp, water beginning to pool around his ankles.

“I’ll have to go see about that then,” he chirps happily, beckoning for Henry to come after him and step in the water, the other man shaking his head vehemently, recoiling as the tide comes onto the shore. “Come on Henry, get your feet a little wet!”

Sungmin flicks some of the water at Henry and the younger man flinches visibly, pouting at Sungmin and whining at him pitifully, backing up until the sand between his toes is warm and dry, looking at Sungmin warily.

“No way,” he says fiercely, looking at the other man with his lips pursed, glaring at the water. “You know I hate the water, it’s very nice to look at but you can count me out. Go play with your little fish friends, Sungmin, they seem quite happy to be there!”

Sungmin pouts, wriggling his toes around in the moist sand as the water retreats back out toward the open sea. "I really can't fathom why you hate it so much," he replies softly, looking out at the water. "You and Ryeowook are really blessed to have had the ocean all your lives, Henry. If I knew such a thing existed before, I would want to spend as much time as I can near it. Regardless of my little fish friends," he finishes with a bit of a chuckle, turning Henry's poking fun right back at him. But Henry doesn't seem amused, as he merely presses his lips in a thin line and doesn't reply. 

The gentle roar of the ocean is the only thing that passes between the two of them for a while, before Henry decides to break the silence. "Say, Sungmin?"

"Yeah?" Sungmin replies, turning to face the younger man. But Henry has barely opened his mouth to finish his question when a strong tide washes up, knocking Sungmin off his feet and he momentarily vanishes beneath the water. Henry's eyes widen, instantly panicking until the tide goes back out, leaving Sungmin sitting on his bum, hilariously spluttering salt water and seaweed out of his mouth.

“You!” Henry sputters, worry turning into instant and unreasonable anger as Sungmin sits on the beach, black hair plastered to his face and lips turned up in a bright smile, high notes of laughter beginning to spill from his lips. “I was actually worried about you, stop laughing!”

Henry huffs and storms off as Sungmin only laughs harder, rolling in the sand and only serving to soil his clothes even more, grains sticking to the wet clothing and hair, but Henry can’t even bring himself to care of the discomfort that Sungmin is sure to have in the future, determined to stay miffed at the other man.

“Aw, you really were worried!” Sungmin teases lightly, making Henry’s face light up cherry red, snickering to himself and just itching to pull on Henry’s child-like cheeks, to sit and coo over him until that pretty red color highlights the tip of his ears.

“No I wasn’t!” Henry huffs, turning back and marching back, trying desperately to ignore Sungmin’s teasing behind him.

“Oh, come on, Henry!” Sungmin calls after the pouting man, attempting to stand up in the damp sand before falling again, giggling quietly to himself and wondering why the younger man seems so angry. “What were you going to tell me?”

“It’s nothing important!” Henry shouts before ignoring the other man entirely, frowning contemplatively, sighing to himself and thinking of what he almost revealed. _Maybe another time._

"Henry," Sungmin whines playfully, finally getting to his feet and taking off in a slow jog to catch up to the man just as he is getting close to the cottage. "Why are you getting so worked up, Henry? It was just a little water."

Henry looks like he's about to have an aneurysm as he stops suddenly, Sungmin nearly running into his back. "You don't know anything," Henry snaps, turning around on his heel and Sungmin recoils from the look on his face. "It's not 'just a little water.' The ocean is dangerous, Sungmin. The tide could have pulled you into a rip current and I don't care how strong a swimmer you are, if you don't know how to get out of it you would drown." 

Sungmin gapes, jaw hanging slack open and looking rather ridiculous soaked to the bone and covered in sand. He didn't want to admit that Henry's words stung more than he would have liked, but they stuck a raw nerve because, really, he _didn't_ know much about this world. He knew that much already -- Henry didn't have to point it out. "Henry, I'm sorry, I--"

"No, you aren't sorry," Henry interrupts, irrationally furious at Sungmin for something that really wasn't his fault. "You can't just brush something like this off as a joke or a laugh. You have never _seen_ anything like the ocean where you're from and yet you're acting like it's all fun and games! Do you even know what it's like to drown _once_ , let alone more than that?! You just don't get it!" His voice rises in pitch as his rant goes on, and his eyes are unusually bright as he fights back angry tears. When he finally gets to the end, he's panting heavily and staring at Sungmin. A twinge of guilt pulls at him when he sees Sungmin's head fall, looking ashamed of himself. 

"I really am sorry, Henry," Sungmin says tentatively, so as not to upset the younger man further. "I didn't know you felt so strongly."

Henry takes a shuddering breath to calm himself. "Why do you think I'm so terrified of water?"

“I don’t know, Henry,” Sungmin says softly, moving to lay his hand gently on the other man’s arm, feeling it shake slightly, and prevents himself from wincing, watching as Henry’s forlorn eyes look up at him, hands angrily wiping at them as a few traitorous tears escape. “You don’t have to keep it to yourself though, if you want to tell me then I’ll listen. I can’t understand if you don’t tell me.”

Henry’s shoulders slowly stop shaking as he pushes his emotions back down to a manageable level, cursing himself for losing control over something so small, turning guilty eyes to Sungmin’s face, seeing only patience there. It makes him feel a bit like a child again, and he wonders when the last time he felt like that was. Over ten years ago at least.

“Thank you, Sungmin,” he says slowly, flashing Sungmin a tiny smile to assure him of being okay, bringing his hand up to brush the hand on his arm, squeezing it lightly before shyly moving his eyes away, looking nervously at the ground. “And I’m sorry for that tantrum there, I just have some...bad memories involving the ocean, but that’s no excuse to take them out on you.”

Sungmin waits for a moment, internally sighing when Henry doesn’t elaborate, thinking that Henry and Ryeowook are quite the secretive bunch, he and Jongwoon knowing little about them beyond their names, and this mythical capitol that they seem to come from. He doesn’t bring it up though, not wanting to erase the shy smile forming on Henry’s face again, clapping him on the back and smiling brightly.

"Come on, let's get back inside. I really need to go find a ship looking for a fisherman and I can't go like this," Sungmin laughs. "I think I have sand in places I would rather they not be."

Henry snorts, glad to be off the topic of his past. "That's what you get for being stupid. But you're right, let's go. I'm sure you can borrow some of Donghae's clothes that he left, you two are about the same size. It certainly beats going in the nude."

Sungmin flushes but he chuckles in return. "Because you totally want to see me walking around with no clothes on." Now it's Henry's turn to flush and punch him in the arm jokingly.

"As if! I bet you're secretly an exhibitionist who enjoys the attention." The two continue to banter as they head inside, pushing and shoving occasionally, dark mood completely forgotten.

...

They’re on the sand this time, moon high in the sky and lighting every inch of Ryeowook’s pale skin, baring it to Jongwoon’s eyes as their lips slide together, warm, even as the breeze slides over their shoulders.

Ryeowook’s body is pressed tight against his own, legs straddling his hips as the other man squirms in his lap, needy sounds escaping his lips as Jongwoon runs his hands over his ribs, settling on the small of his back and barely dipping down to touch the smooth skin of his hips.

Ryeowook moans into their kiss as Jongwoon’s hands slide even lower, grinding their hips together and kissing him harder, Jongwoon catching his teeth on Ryeowook’s full bottom lip, relishing in the whimper. Ryeowook’s hair is soft between his fingers as he pulls his head back, sweeping his tongue through the other man’s mouth from a stronger angle, relishing in the whimper it brings.

When Ryeowook’s hand snakes down from his shoulder, sliding below his abdomen, Jongwoon thinks he may be seeing stars, the same feeling of seeing the stars on the surface for the first time. He breaks their kiss to muffle a moan into Ryeowook’s shoulder, trailing kisses from there to suck a mark on Ryeowook’s neck, wanting the blooming purple mark to be there in the morning, for Ryeowook to be _his_.

Pleasure hazes thick over his mind as Ryeowook’s hand tightens deliciously, and he thinks that if this is what sends him to hell, then heaven might be overrated.

He wakes up in a cold sweat just as the stars explode behind his eyes, a curse leaving his lips before he can stop it and hands angrily pushing the drenched hair out of his face. He glances nervously to Sungmin and sighs when he sees his friends still asleep, thankful for at least one blessing.

He slowly gets off the bed and pads to the living room, sitting heavily on the couch. The dreams get more frequent and explicit each time, and he’s starting to wonder if maybe he should just run into the ocean, and save himself from whatever has been happening in his head.

_What am I supposed to do about this_ , he thinks forlornly, seeing the dark sky outside of the cottage window’s, the barest hint of the stars still winking at him. He sighs and curls up on his side, hoping no more dreams will torture him in this night. _I don’t know how to fix this._

...

Jongwoon wakes up the next morning to the smell and sound of sizzling bacon coming from the kitchen. Thankful that the dreams at least had left him alone for the rest of the night, he rubs the remainder of sleep from his eyes as he pushes himself off the couch and stumbles in to investigate. Henry is barely awake at the table, leaning precariously on his arm, and Ryeowook is at the fireplace, maneuvering the long cast-iron skillet expertly. 

"Morning," Ryeowook calls. A dark look crosses Jongwoon's face upon sight of the man, and Ryeowook chuckles at it, completely oblivious to the man's plight. "You certainly are a ray of sunshine in the morning." He waves his spatula in an accusing manner at the older man.

Henry snorts awake at the joke and Jongwoon only scowls more, slumping into the seat beside him. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I certainly don't envy Henry, he must have to put up with your nagging-mother mode first thing in the morning." Henry guffaws, enjoying the bantering and the priceless look that crosses Ryeowook's face.

"What is it with you three and calling me a woman," he bemoans, turning back to the food and shaking his head. "Why were you sleeping on the couch, Jongwoon? Sungmin finally kick you out? You must have kept him up all night with your thunderous snoring, he's still in the room sleeping, I'd wager. I heard you clear into the bedroom when you moved out to the sitting room this morning."

Jongwoon frowns. Actually now that he thinks about it, why _isn't_ Sungmin awake yet? He's always been a bit of an early riser, never complaining about having to get up at the waking hour or before (much unlike himself). "Actually, I think he should be awake by now. I hope he didn't get up and try going out to search for ships looking for crews without Henry, he'll probably get lost..." 

His musings are interrupted by a faint shatter, and Ryeowook freezes at the stove. "What was that?"

Henry sits up straighter and looks around the room, Jongwoon doing much the same. "I don't know, it sounded like glass. But all of the windows are wooden shutters here, aren't they?"

"I'll go look," Jongwoon says quickly, standing from the table and ignoring the questioning looks of Henry and Ryeowook. They didn't seem to notice it sounded as though it came from the back room and if it's true what they said about the windows, he had an idea of what it might have been. He only hoped it wasn't true.

His heart drops to his stomach when he finds Sungmin there, wincing as he sees the blank look in his friend's eyes, bottom lip clutched between his teeth as he stands over a mass of scattered glass shards, crinkled parchment in his hands.

Jongwoon makes his way slowly to Sungmin’s side and puts a hand on his shoulders, frown pulling at his lips when he feels them shaking slightly, sighing before speaking softly.

“What happened, Min?” He has a feeling he can guess already, but thinks it may help to hear it from Sungmin himself, before anyone else has to see him like this hopefully. He winces again, knowing it would kill Sungmin to have anyone but him see his cracks.

“I, I don’t know,” Sungmin says, words barely there as he look at the faded and now ruined ink on the faded paper in his hands, shapes completely unrecognizable from what could have once been a face. “I must have forgotten to take it out of my clothes before we made the net, and the water must have gotten under the glass and now its ruined.”

Tears slowly begin to drip down onto the former portrait as well and Jongwoon squeezes Sungmin’s shoulder a bit harder, knowing as strong as his friend is that this may be his breaking point. His breath catches when Sungmin looks up at him with hopelessly teary eyes, face looking more lost than he’s seen him since the day his mother died.

“Jongwoon,” he says, voice a bare whisper, hands curling and crinkling the ruined paper even more. Jongwoon thinks that he may regret that later, but even to him the portrait looks unrestoreable, ink too far ran and paper been subjected to too much water damage. “Who’s going to remember her now? How will anyone even remember her face?”

"Sungmin..." he starts, watching his friend's lip quiver and the utterly lost look makes his heart clench for the man.

"My brother was too little to remember, and my father refused to even speak of her... and even you weren't allowed to see her that often. It was hard enough, not being able to see her every day. But then I started to forget... the sound of her voice, the way her eyes lit up when she saw me or Jinnie... And now the only reminder I had is gone... Jongwoon I-" a wretched sob rips past his lips and Jongwoon pulls him into a hug, letting Sungmin cry on his shoulder for the first time in a very long time. "I don't want to forget."

"Shh, Min, you won't forget, you'll never forget," Jongwoon comforts, allowing them to sink to the floor as Sungmin leans heavier and heavier against him. "It's always there, even if you can't consciously see her, your mother is always there." He hears the floorboards creak and he turns his head to see Henry and Ryeowook peeking through the crack in the door, concern etched on their faces. _Later_ , he mouths, and they reluctantly nod and back away. He has no intention of telling them about Sungmin's mother -- it's not his place to tell, after all -- but he doesn't want to keep secrets like they do, and reckons he can at least tell them that Sungmin lost something very precious to him. Surely, Henry especially would be able to relate to that.

Sungmin continues to sob and mutter incoherent things into Jongwoon's shoulder, and Jongwoon thinks that with the way he's carrying on like this the poor soul was probably never allowed to properly grieve the loss of his mother. He remembers her funeral rites being a very private affair, which was unusual in their town as it was the duty of the community to help support their neighbors in their trouble times, and curses silently at how he had missed the signs as he rocks Sungmin in attempts to comfort him. Sungmin had always been closer to his mother than his father, and when his friend suddenly stopped talking about her when she passed away... he had always known that the Elder prohibited his children from speaking of her, but to keep them from _missing_ her was an impossible feat.

Jongwoon sighs when Sungmin goes limp against him nearly half an hour later, his friend finally falling into an emotionally exhausted sleep, toll of emotions in the morning too much for his mind to bear. Jongwoon looks down sadly at Sungmin before gently picking him up, moving to set him on the bed and feeling his heart clench at the tear trails drying on the other man’s cheeks.

“You shouldn’t keep it all inside like this, Min,” He says softly, getting up and exiting their room slowly, giving one last look back at Sungmin’s now peaceful face. “I don’t know how to fix you.”

Jongwoon closes his eyes for a moment and simply stands in the hall, knowing that Ryeowook and Henry will surely be in the kitchen and waiting for answers that he’s not prepared, or entitled, to give. He frowns and wonders if this makes them any better, everyone keeping secrets, but as this is something that even he doesn’t know the entire story to, he figures that it’s an excusable secret.

He’s right, of course, and curious eyes fall upon him when he makes his way up the hallway and back into the kitchen, waving his hand for silence before Ryeowook can open his mouth to say anything. Henry’s eyes hold a glimmer of understanding, and Jongwoon wonders what it is that has happened in his past, a certain sadness always seeming to lay deep within his kind eyes. He shakes his head before sighing, mulling over his words before he says them.

“You two have your secrets,” he says lowly, eyes sad as he remembers the few times in his life that he’s seen Sungmin break, most of them tying into this particular dark moment in his history. “And he has his, they aren’t mine to tell. There’s a hole in him that hasn’t been able to be filled in a long time, and if he ever feels comfortable enough to tell you then he will.”

Ryeowook looks like he wants to argue, worried about how much despair was on Sungmin's face but he knows Jongwoon is right. If Sungmin wanted to tell them then he would eventually. "All right," he states resolutely, and Jongwoon appreciates the fact that he doesn't push even though it's clear he wants to. "There's a dustpan and a broom in the hall cupboard if you want to clean up the glass before he wakes." Jongwoon raises an eyebrow and Ryeowook continues, "I don't know what it was but I saw broken glass."

“Oh, yes, of course,” Jongwoon mumbles, remembering their peeking eyes through the door and the unavoidable halo of glass that had surrounded Sungmin’s feet. He thinks it may be even more disastrous if Sungmin wakes to see that as well, along with the crumpled portrait clutched in his hands, and makes his way over to the cupboard. “I’ll go do that then. And, Henry, Ryeowook...don’t let this effect your treatment of him at all, please, that would only break him more.”

Henry's eyes are sad as he nods his understanding. "Poor Sungmin... for the short time that I've known him, he's always been so strong... I don't think I want to know what would make him so heart-broken like that." Ryeowook hums in agreement, looking at Jongwoon's back as he exits the kitchen once again, sighing as he stands from the table. 

"Breakfast has gone cold by now... I'll start heating it up again," he offers, putting the skillet back on the fire to warm it up before getting the plates he had set out full of food to toss them back in for a quick toast. Henry feels rather useless as he sits there, torn between wanting to go help Jongwoon clean up the mess and not wanting to be in the way. He fingers absently at the coin around his neck, a habit when he's thinking, his lip caught between his teeth. 

"It was just as precious to him as your coin is to you," comes a voice, and Henry looks up to see Jongwoon is back, dustpan and broken glass in hand as he crosses the room to dump the shards into the under the skillet. "The thing that Sungmin broke. Imagine if you were to lose that coin of yours and you would know some of what he's feeling right now." He straightens up and turns to look Henry straight in the eye, sincerity burning and slightly intimidating to the youngest.

Henry bites down on his lip as he imagines the pain of losing his necklace, and knows that for Jongwoon to have said so that whatever it was of Sungmin’s that broke, and in turn broke him, must have been very dear to him. 

“Do you think I should talk to him?” He says softly, looking up slowly to meet Jongwoon’s eyes, seeing Ryeowook’s back tense as he readies the skillet, trying not to seem like he’s paying too much attention. “If it’s as you say then my experiences may be able to help some, I don’t mind sharing some of my past if that’s the case.”

Ryeowook’s eyebrows shoot skyward from where he stands, astonished as there’s some things from Henry’s past that even _he_ doesn’t know, and he’s known the other man for years. He wonders what it is about these two men that seems to bring out the urge to help and protect in both of them, he himself worrying for Sungmin as well though he hasn’t even known him a month yet.

“If you think you can help, then be my guest,” Jongwoon says hesitantly, hoping that it wouldn’t have the opposite effect entirely, remembering how Sungmin would close up for days on end after the immediate events leading to his mother’s death, bouncing between too cheerful and a shadow of himself with no warning, inconsolable until Jongwoon would be able to bring him back to the present. “But I would wait a few days, I don’t think he’ll want to talk about it at all much for a bit, if I know Sungmin anyway.”

Henry nods, and resolves to maybe catch Sungmin after he feels well enough to fish again, gaging the man’s love for fishing with his general wellbeing, as he seems to be as connected to the water as any man he’s met in his life.

Ryeowook sighs at the fireplace, worried now not only for Sungmin's mental stability but Henry's too. He may not know _everything_ about Henry's past, as Henry insists that he would much rather forget about certain details than bring them up, but he knows enough to cause him to fret over his dearest friend. He reluctantly turns his attention back to the food, starting at the majority of it being blackened around the edges of the skillet. He curses under his breath and moves to drop the ruined bits food in the scrap bowl which is used for bait, mourning the waste of their already limited stash. 

"Sorry, Henry, we're going to have to eat the salvageable parts of this, I'm not letting it all go to waste," Ryeowook says, sparing Henry an apologetic look. "I'm going to make Jongwoon the fresh plate. And Sungmin when he wakes up."

Henry scowls, dark mood lifted a little by the sheer cuteness of his cheeks as they puffed out in disappointment. "Oh, all right. But next time give the burnt food to your litt--"

"Henry Lau if you finish that sentence you will go hungry for the rest of the week," Ryeowook threatens, thankful for the fact that he has to have his back turned to the table while working at the fire because his face lightens to match the shade of the flame. Henry meeps and sits up straighter, quickly shutting his mouth in fear of going hungry, and Jongwoon just feels lost. It seems as though there are a lot of things he still has yet to learn about the pair.

“Sure, give your husband all the good food,” Henry mumbles to himself as Ryeowook sets a fresh plate in front of Jongwoon, thankful that the man is too engrossed with the plate in front of him to hear, but does earn a scalding glare from Ryeowook, red coloring his friend’s features.

When Jongwoon looks up again it’s to Ryeowook and Henry steadfastly ignoring each other, this breakfast quickly becoming one of the strangest affairs he’s ever had to sit through in his life, and he has to ponder what went wrong this morning or what he did that made Luzo decide to punish him like this.

Then he remembers Ryeowook, naked, squirming in his lap-

Suddenly things become much clearer.

...

It’s the middle of the night again, Jongwoon wagers, only this time it isn’t a dream that sent him out as he sits in the hallway outside his and Sungmin’s shared room, the other man having holed himself in there after waking up and politely telling Jongwoon that he would like to be alone tonight. 

Jongwoon respects that, he really does, but is afraid he’s developed a bit of insomnia as he leans back against the door, fearing he may be beginning to see Ryeowook behind his eyes even, and he wonders when it started to become like this. He hardly even _knows_ the man and yet here he is with some pathetic teenage crush on him. He buries his face in his knees and considers the positives to running into the ocean and drowning himself, option looking suddenly very appealing.

"You really must have been keeping him awake with your awful snoring for him to kick you out before even going to sleep," a voice says quietly, and Jongwoon raises his head from his knees to see Ryeowook smiling softly over him, a blanket folded over his arm. Ryeowook's words are teasing but he knows that the man is only trying to lighten the mood. 

"He wanted to be alone," Jongwoon replies just as quietly so as not to disturb the sleeping man in the next room, nodding towards the door. He kind of doesn't want to be talking to Ryeowook right now, with all that's on his mind about the red-head, but he just can't bring himself to push him away. So he tells him the half-truth to why he's sitting here in the hallway, versus out in the sitting room with him and Henry. "But I just... I had to make sure he would be okay. So, here I sit."

Ryeowook slides down the wall to sit next to Jongwoon, taking the blanket and draping it over his lap and offering the excess for Jongwoon to do the same. Jongwoon gratefully accepts, moving to sit cross-legged so the blanket sits more comfortably across his legs. "You're a good friend, Jongwoon," Ryeowook muses, looking at the wall across from them instead of at the older man. Jongwoon turns a curious eyebrow up at Ryeowook, silently asking for an explanation, but Ryeowook doesn't say more, so he opens his mouth to prompt him.

"How do you figure?" he scoffs slightly. "I usually just end up getting him into more trouble. I can't even comfort him properly when he gets like this."

Ryeowook sighs, his eyes looking terribly guilty and slightly sad. "From what I have seen between you two, I have yet to see a time where you put yourself before him. You take good care of him. Me... I only wish I could be more like you when it comes to Henry. I have this habit of doing whatever the hell I want without thinking of what it could mean for him, and look where it got us..."

Jongwoon bites his lip, hesitantly scooting a bit closer to Ryeowook so that he can put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly and trying to show him an encouraging smile as he trails off.

“Ryeowook, I may not know much about you,” He says slowly, rolling the words around in his mouth before telling them to Ryeowook, feeling a bit nervous as expectant eyes gaze up at him, gulping when he feels Ryeowook lean a bit into his touch. “But I know that you care a hell of a lot about Henry, and I’m sure he knows that too. We’re all selfish every once in awhile, I know that more than anyone, we’re humans, but I think when you truly care for someone, that shines above all else.”

Ryeowook looks at Jongwoon’s face in awe as the man finishes nervously, the barest hint of self loathing creeping into his tone moving to scoot back to his former seat when Ryeowook reaches out a hand to grab his arm, smiling shyly and wondering how this man could ever think badly of himself, having met few with such straight forward principles.

“Jongwoon, why are you so nice to me?” He says softly, eyes curious as Jongwoon looks surprised to hear him speak, perhaps expecting them to lapse into silence afterwards and looking uncomfortably at Ryeowook’s hand on his arm, almost as if he expects it to bite him. “You hardly know me, and yet you treat me like you would a friend, even though you know none of my secrets or past. Why?”

"Because you _are_ a friend," Jongwoon replies simply, and Ryeowook looks shocked by his answer. "We may not have met in the best of circumstances, and we may have been forced to become friends given the situation... but... I still consider you a friend. And I don't regret meeting you."

Ryeowook stares him down, as though he's expecting him to laugh and say, _ahahaha, I'm only kidding, get away from me_ but Jongwoon only meets his gaze, holding it for a steady moment, all the while feeling his heartbeat pick up a few paces and he finally looks away, suddenly finding the grain of the wall very interesting and he knows his face is very warm and he knows he's not catching a fever.

He hears rather than sees Ryeowook sigh. "I appreciate the sentiment, Jongwoon, and you'll have to forgive me if it doesn't seem like I think the same, because I really do. I owe you and Sungmin my life, Henry's life. I wouldn't mind calling you two my friends, because it seems like hardly enough thanks for saving us. I just... I don't even know how to repay you."

The words are out of Jongwoon's mouth before he can stop them. "You can kiss me." Ryeowook snaps his head in his direction and Jongwoon finds himself spluttering an apology. "I'm sorry, I don't even know why I said that, just ignore me, I--"

"You want... to kiss me?" Ryeowook breathes incredulously, shifting his back off the wall so that he faces Jongwoon proper as he sits, and Jongwoon's face is a thousand times hotter than three seconds ago.

“Yes, no, maybe,” Jongwoon mumbles, and he has to resist the urge to flee because Ryeowook is suddenly a bit too close to him, and he’s quite sure that his face resembles a tomato at this point. “I keep dreaming about you, and me. And it’s very awkward but maybe if you kiss me then the dreams will stop and I’ll finally be able to sleep again and don’t get me wrong, I don’t like men, I really don’t, it must just be hormones or something and Luzo is definitely going to send me to hell for this-”

Ryeowook has to bite his lip to keep from giggling throughout Jongwoon’s tirade, the other man almost comical as he waves his arms about and refuses to meet Ryeowook’s eyes, oblivious as Ryeowook moves closer to him, nearly standing straight up when Ryeowook gently grabs one of his flailing arms, shaking his head at him.

“Well I _do_ like men, Jongwoon,” Ryeowook says teasingly, and almost feels a bit of a weight come off his shoulders, smiling wickedly as Jongwoon continues to squirm. He lets a little laugh escape too, this must be why he’s found Jongwoon on the couch in the mornings. “And I don’t think your God is going to send you to hell for it, you’re still here aren’t you?”

He leans forward quickly and before Jongwoon can change his mind, getting a hand on his shoulder and stealing a quick kiss before he loses his nerve, barely brushing his lips over the other man’s. They’re just as soft and warm as when they kissed his forehead though, and he finds himself lingering a moment longer.

“See?” He murmurs, sure his cheeks are just as fiery as Jongwoon’s now, almost reluctant to move away. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

"N-no," Jongwoon whispers, staring shamelessly into Ryeowook's eyes now, completely captivated and no longer afraid of what the other would think. After all, it's pretty clear that Ryeowook wants this too. "Not at all." Ryeowook smiles and the thought crosses his mind that his smile really is beautiful, much more beautiful than the worried scowl the younger man seems to favor. And then something clicks in his head. "You said you like men... is that why you're so reluctant to be seen in public? Something tells me that it's about as acceptable here as it is where I come from."

Ryeowook stiffens, the soft mood totally dampened and he makes to pull away but Jongwoon doesn't let him. "I won't push it if you still aren't comfortable to tell me," Jongwoon assures, pulling Ryeowook into his lap and letting him rest his head on his shoulder. "But don't think I'll let you run away after that."

Jongwoon's shoulder is bony but it's so warm and inviting, and Ryeowook sighs with a soft hum. "It's... part of the reason. I... let me put it this way. As amazing and beautiful as this world seems there are a lot of appalling things that exist. All of the good, along with bad. Where Henry and I left, it... there was more bad than good. I wanted to put all of that behind me the only way I knew how, and Henry wouldn't let me go on my own."

It doesn't take long for Jongwoon to realize what that way was. After all, he did it, too, only under different circumstances. "So you ran away, then." 

"Mm-hmm," Ryeowook affirms with a nod, head never leaving Jongwoon's shoulder, his hair tickling his neck. "The rest, I just want to forget. We're here now, and I want to give the past enough time to settle so that it doesn't follow me here. And then... then, I can really start over. _We_ can finally start over." He closes his eyes and snuggles in a little closer. "It's been a while since I've been held like this."

"You had a lover before?" Jongwoon questions, not being able to help the jealousy that twinges in his heart. 

"Only one," Ryeowook answers quietly. "A very long time ago." He doesn't say any more than that and Jongwoon thinks his eyes may be getting a little glassy and thinks it's probably not the best idea to bring that up now. So he leans down and presses another kiss to Ryeowook's lips, soft and chaste. 

"Well," he starts, "I've never done this kind of thing before, woman or man, so you'll have to forgive me if I'm inexperienced. We'll probably have to go slow, and... I mean, that is, if you even want there to be a _we_..."

“Jongwoon, I wouldn’t still be sitting here with you if I wasn’t interested in a ‘we’,” Ryeowook chuckles softly, lips still tingling slightly from Jongwoon’s kiss, pushing darker memories back into the recesses of his mind and trying to focus on the present. “My past has nothing to do with that, at least.”

Ryeowook has to stop himself from smiling as Jongwoon’s hesitant words register to him, and he imagines that he should have expected as much from him, being from such a secluded community, and it somehow only makes Jongwoon all the more endearing to him for it.

“And I didn’t kiss you just so I could hop into bed with you tonight, I don’t have any problem with going slow,” Ryeowook lifts his head from Jongwoon’s shoulder and smiles brightly at the other man, shifting himself so he rests more comfortably in Jongwoon’s lap, leaning back into his arms and enjoying the simple feeling of being held. “Though we might not want to spend the night in the hallway, I’ll catch hell from Henry. I know he can’t wait to say _I told you so_.”

Jongwoon’s mouth makes an ‘o’ shape as it all finally clicks for him, Henry’s comments and Ryeowook’s awkward refusals, and he thinks he may not be the only one who had a bit of a teenaged crush. He smiles shyly back when Ryeowook looks at him, and decides to make it his mission to make the other man smile for, liking it much better than the constant stress adorning his features.

“Thank you,” He mumbles, turning his head to catch Ryeowook’s lips with his own and trying to control the smile spreading on his face when he realizes that he doesn’t really have to dream anymore to imagine this, letting the kiss linger instead of the quick pecks they’ve had so far.

Ryeowook, however, doesn't hold back because he's all smiles as he slides off Jongwoon's lap and gets to his feet, stretching his arms a bit before leaning down and offering Jongwoon a hand to help him stand. "Come on, let's get off this floor. Henry's already gone to bed, and you said Sungmin wanted to be left alone, so it looks like you won't be the only one sleeping on the sofa tonight." 

Jongwoon lets Ryeowook pull him to his feet, his back screaming in protest of sitting hunched against the wall for such a long time. All of the bed sharing and couch sleeping isn't doing him any good, but at least tonight he doesn't have a reason to complain. "I'm glad. I thought I was going to be a bedroom exile alone forever," he jokes as he leads the way into the sitting room, oil lamp dim and almost burned out. Henry must have forgotten about it before he went to sleep. 

Ryeowook shakes the little bit of dirt from the blanket being on the floor as Jongwoon stretches out on the sofa, pressing his back as close to the cushion as possible so that Ryeowook has room to lay. The younger man drapes the blanket over both of them, and Jongwoon finds that it's much more comfortable to sleep while cuddling something -- _someone_ \-- as he wraps a tentative arm around Ryeowook's waist. 

"I can see why you like using Henry to cuddle," Jongwoon murmurs, earning a soft laugh from Ryeowook. "But you'll have to explain to me what a teddy bear is." Ryeowook is silently confused and Jongwoon feels his face heat up. "I, uh, overheard you talking to Henry one night," he fibs, figuring he's already damned enough and one little white lie isn't going to hurt anyone. Ryeowook doesn't need to know the specifics of his dreams. 

"I'm sure we can show you a teddy bear sooner rather than later," Ryeowook replies, smiling even though his back is pressed to Jongwoon's front and the other cannot see it. They fall into a comfortable silence, and Ryeowook snuggles closer. "I'm... really glad that you're okay with this. That you want this too. I was afraid if I said anything to you earlier that you would be disgusted, or at the very least, moving too quickly."

"It's funny, I thought the same thing," Jongwoon whispers. "We've hardly known each other a month, and already..."

"God certainly has a way of working things," Ryeowook agrees. "Or Luzo. I'm sorry, I still have a hard time--"

"I think," Jongwoon interrupts quietly, "that your God and my Luzo may be one and the same. Just a different name."

“You might be right,” Ryeowook muses softly, and thinks that the world must be good for Jongwoon, such an idea surely would have sent him reeling just a few short weeks ago. “But sleep now, philosophy later? It’s quite late.”

Jongwoon feels his heart swell when Ryeowook leans back even further into his arms, practically pressed flush against him under the blanket, and indulges in tucking his head into the crook of Ryeowook’s neck, feeling his soft hair slightly tickle his cheeks. He closes his eyes and lets himself drift off as he feels Ryeowook go limp against him, the other man’s breathing evening out and squirming becoming less prominent, finally adjusted to the position.

Jongwoon falls asleep with a small smile on his face, and doesn’t have a single dream that night, Ryeowook tucked safe in his arms.

It’s the most restful sleep he’s had in a long time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons of the past are brought to light.

The sun has barely began to stream through the windows when Ryeowook wakes up, nose pressed hard into Jongwoon’s shirt and barely able to breathe, Jongwoon’s arms still tight around him. It makes him smile sleepily when he realizes he must have turned in the night, but it still did nothing to effect Jongwoon’s hold on him.

He cuddles closer and closes his eyes again, hoping to get a few more minutes rest before having to disturb Jongwoon and make breakfast, almost reluctant to wake the peacefully sleeping man, when he hears a gasp behind him, from the direction of the hallway. 

“Oh Luzo,” He hears Sungmin say, and blearily looks over his shoulder to see the other man standing in the entrance of the living room, still looking a bit worse for wear, but more put together than he had been before. Surprise covers his features, and his eyes are trained on Jongwoon and Ryeowook, Ryeowook’s disdainful glare bouncing right off him. “Jongwoon, I never knew you liked Ryeowook! Or men in general! Why didn’t you tell me?”

"Shh, don't wake him," Ryeowook shushes, willing the stirring man beside him to not wake up. Thankfully Jongwoon settles down and carefully Ryeowook extricates himself from the blankets, pulling the stunned Sungmin into the kitchen and pushing him down in a chair at the table. "He was really worried about you last night, the least you could do is let him rest."

"I... it just... I didn't think..." Sungmin splutters, trying to find the right words to appropriately describe his shock. Ryeowook busies himself with getting the fire going. 

"Didn't think it's possible for two men to like each other?" Ryeowook snips a little more harshly than he intends, and Sungmin bites his cheek. "I suppose you think that love is reserved between men and women and anything other than that is condemnable by the Creator too, right?"

"No," Sungmin replies shortly, holding his head high. "Actually, I don't. I hardly believe that Luzo would condemn _anyone_ because of who their heart chooses, regardless of whether it's between a man and woman or otherwise. I was going to say, I didn't think Jongwoon would keep something like this from me. He had to have known for a while, because feelings don't just develop overnight."

Ryeowook instantly feels guilty, knowing he really shouldn't be giving Sungmin a hard time especially with the way he's been feeling, but his experiences made him jump to conclusions, as always. "Yes, well," he starts, not letting Sungmin see his damaged pride. "If he kept it from you intentionally my guess is that it would be so that he didn't worry you. You've had enough on your mind. Now," he strides across the room and drops a plate in front of the older man, "eat. You haven't had a meal since the day before yesterday."

Sungmin nods his thanks as Ryeowook sets the plate in front of him, mind still spinning with thoughts of Ryeowook and Jongwoon and _how could Jongwoon keeps something so monumental from him_. It makes him frown childishly as he grudgingly admits to himself that his friend was probably too embarrassed to have such a conversation with him, but he still wishes Jongwoon had told him.

“So,” He says slowly, looking at Ryeowook over his food after the silence has settled, accepting the plate as an apology for making such quick assumptions of his words. “You and Jongwoon, then?"

Ryeowook’s face turns fiery as Sungmin raises his eyebrows at him, and he has to press down the urge to defend himself again, this time sure that Sungmin is merely messing with him. He simply shrugs and has to stop his frown from deepening as the other man’s smile turns wicked.

“And here is the obligatory best friend speech that I’m sure you know is coming,” Sungmin chuckles as Ryeowook simply glares at him, finding this more amusing than he should and looking forward to when Jongwoon wakes up so he can give him a congratulatory punch. It does wonders to lift his dark mood from the previous day, and his eyes crinkle as he smiles. “But I truly hope you’re serious, Ryeowook. Jongwoon isn’t as strong as he looks, just tell me you aren’t playing around with him.”

“I would never,” Ryeowook hisses, eyes narrowing at Sungmin and glancing to where he hears Jongwoon shift on the couch, hoping he didn’t wake the other man. It remains silent, though, and he begins to wonder just how deep a sleeper Jongwoon is. “I would never play with someones feelings like that, I’d like to think you have more faith in me than that, Sungmin.”

Sungmin raises an eyebrow and looks about to respond when Henry stumbles in, yawning widely and examining the tension in the room with a contemplative look, a lightbulb seeming to light above his head as a small chuckle escapes, managing to deduce what happened.

“I was wondering why you didn’t come back to the room last night,” He says, a smile pulling at his lips as Ryeowook turns to looking at him disdainfully, throwing a fork at him and narrowly missing Henry’s head, watching it clang to the floor with a wince. “Seems like you finally managed to reel in your ‘husband’, eh, Wookie?”

"My threat of starving you for the rest of the week still stands, Henry," Ryeowook sniffs, cracking a few more eggs into the skillet. Henry sticks his tongue out and slides into a chair next to Sungmin, who blinks and finds himself gaping again.

"You knew...?"

Henry snorts. "Oh, please, they were so obvious! Blushing like school girls with a teenage crush every time they were in the same room. Didn't you wonder why Ryeona over there would get so flustered when you kept calling him Jongwoon's wife? And then-- ow!" This time Ryeowook lobs a potato at him and it bounces off his head. "Ryeowook! Don't waste food, we're already tight on money as it is!"

"Potatoes don't bruise and I wash and peel the skins away anyway. You should respect your elders, Henry, especially the ones that feed you." Ryeowook finishes his rant with a 'hmph,' childishly sulking at the teasing until Henry's word sink in deeper and he frowns. 

“Speaking of money, you’re going to have to get a job,” Ryeowook says shortly to Henry, still sore from the teasing and slightly gleeful at the prospect of sending Henry out in the world to do some taxing manual labor in return for the jibes, revenge swirling in his head. “Go to work and bring home the bacon, you little freeloader.”

“Ryeowook, that’s not fair and you know it!” Henry pouts, poking unhappily at the table and thinking he may have pushed Ryeowook a bit too far this time. “And why don’t you go wake your sleeping beauty over there too, I’d say he’s doing his fair share of freeloading!”

“Jongwoon’s allowed,” Ryeowook says simply, ignoring Henry’s cries of _double standard_ as he puts down the potatoes and makes his way back to the living room, Jongwoon’s still form still resting on the couch, tangled messily in the blanket. He’s almost reluctant to wake the other man up as he crouches in front of his face, seeing the dark bags still lingering under his eyes.

“Wake up, sleepy head,” he whispers, reaching up a hand to brush Jongwoon’s bangs out of his face, giggling a little as the older man’s nose crinkles in protest. It only causes him to lean in closer, blowing a puff of warm air into Jongwoon’s ear, speaking directly into it in hopes of having more effect. “It’s time for breakfast, stop being a useless freeloader like Henry says you are.”

The way Jongwoon shivers makes Ryeowook think his idea may have had a different effect than he intended, which isn't necessarily a bad thing - after all, Jongwoon is finally awake now, sleep-clouded eyes glaring half-heartedly at him. "That's a great way to wake up in the morning, being called names," he mutters, untangling himself from the blanket as he sits up. 

"Don't blame me, I'm just passing the message along," Ryeowook chuckles softly, smoothing down Jongwoon's bedhead in places where it sticks up awkwardly. Jongwoon frowns in a pout, a light blush painting his cheeks as Ryeowook continues to pet his hair. Ryeowook notices it with a slight start, his hand faltering away. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" 

"No!" Jongwoon says quickly, waving his hands in denial. "I'm just... not used to this kind of closeness with anyone," he trails off, blush darkening in embarrassment. "Sorry."

Ryeowook smiles gently, relieved and resisting the urge to coo at the older man. Twenty-six years old and still acting like a teenaged virgin... it's rather endearing, Ryeowook thinks. "Why are you apologizing? It's nothing to be sorry for," he reassures. Jongwoon still looks rather embarrassed at his lack of experience, though, and Ryeowook grins inwardly. "Come on, let's go have breakfast, shall we?" He pecks Jongwoon on the lips, giggling at the impossible shade of red the man turns, before pulling him to his feet by the hands. 

As they head for the kitchen, there's a thump and a scrape of chairs and Ryeowook raises his eyebrows as they round the corner, Jongwoon still fighting back a blush as they enter. Sungmin and Henry are sitting ramrod straight in their chairs at the table with innocent looks on their faces, mysteriously in different ones than they were sitting in before. 

"We you _spying_ on us?" Ryeowook accuses, knowing full well that they were and amused that they completely failed at hiding it.

"No!" Sungmin denies at the same time Henry mutters, "I told you I was as subtle as a brick to the head."

Sungmin glares at Henry, hissing at him to be quiet, but Ryeowook simply covers his mouth and laughs, taking in the sight of the two grumbling men and Jongwoon standing still and looking like a helpless baby seal, looking completely lost and unsure of himself.

“You’ve got some explaining to do, Jongwoon,” Sungmin says in mock seriousness, amusement highlighting his fox like eyes as he represses a smile, trying to glare at his friend. “Since when do we keep secrets from each other, huh?”

Jongwoon stutters and mumbles out an answer of barely connected words, staring at his feet and deciding it’s too early in the morning to deal with this. Ryeowook eventually takes pity on him and simply pushes him over to the table, walking back to ready a plate for him.

“All joking aside,” Ryeowook says, once everyone has settled back down and Jongwoon and Sungmin have resolved to simply ignoring each other, Henry looking very much like a lost puppy in between them. “You all really will need to get jobs, the money we have won’t last us very long. You too, Jongwoon, even if I like you more than the others.”

The last bit is added jokingly as Jongwoon’s face flares up again, and Henry wails at being demoted so quickly, pouting at Ryeowook and refusing to meet his eyes. Sungmin simply grins, having wanted to get a closer look at these so called fishing boats that Henry explained to him.

"But I have no idea what I could do," Jongwoon protests, pointedly ignoring Sungmin and pushing his food around on his plate. "The only skills I have pertain to maintaining the water clock. I can't cook or swim or fish or anything..." 

"That's why you learn how to do something else," Henry pipes in through a mouthful of potatoes. He takes a huge, gulping swallow before continuing on. "Well... you know, there's always the old saying in my home country that roughly translates to, 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks,' and you're certainly an old dog, aren't you?" he snickers. Jongwoon looks a little crestfallen, and Ryeowook scowls.

"You're being entirely unhelpful," he whines disdainfully. Henry only waves his comment away.

"I'm only teasing," Henry scoffs, punching Jongwoon lightly in the arm. "Considering you two are already practically married and you're my unofficial brother, Ryeowook, that makes him my brother-in-law and I'm just fulfilling my duty as the annoying little brother."

Jongwoon’s face turns scarlet as he sputters at Henry, and Ryeowook has to hold back a sigh, feeling a pain begin in his temples. He shoots a glare Henry’s way before collecting himself, turning to Sungmin.

“Well, at least you can fish,” He says, and Sungmin nods eagerly, looking forward to being able to see the fish that this ‘ocean’ of theirs seems to be able to offer, and the chance to be useful in keeping their new household running. “Henry can take you down to the docks and we can see about getting a job on one of the boats that goes out then, Sungmin.”

“And I’m sure there’s a shop that will hire you somewhere, Henry,” Ryeowook huffs at Henry, not quite ready to forgive his teasing yet and steadfastly ignoring him still, speaking more to Sungmin. “Just make sure Sungmin ends up where he needs to be and then search around, surely someone in town could use an errand boy.”

“Jongwoon could always help Sungmin with the fishing,” Henry puts in, frowning at Ryeowook’s job suggestions but accepting it as fact, hoping he doesn’t pick up Jongwoon’s habit of attracting strange old women as he inevitably has to wander through the shops. “I’m sure one of the boats could use a deckhand, even if he can’t swim.”

"What exactly does a deckhand do?" Jongwoon asks nervously, the previous color draining from his face as fast as it came, turning paper white. 

"Basically, they're gophers for the crew," Ryeowook explains reassuringly. "They relay orders from the captain, help out with the bait, swabbing down the saltwater from the deck so the wood doesn't rot, that sort of thing. Pretty much anything that doesn't require actual fishing, a deckhand does."

Jongwoon relaxes visibly. "Okay, I think I can manage that." He turns to Sungmin with a bit of a truce-seeking look in his eye. "Care if one more joins you today?" 

Sungmin tips his nose up in a mock snoot. "I don't know, I don't think I've quite forgiven you for keeping secrets from me yet," he says slowly, closing his eyes for a sec, before peeking one open at Jongwoon. The disheartened, apologetic look on Jongwoon's face makes him drop the act, and he smiles apologetically and reaches around Henry to punch him on the shoulder lightly. "Oh, Jongwoon, I'm only kidding."

“Well we’ve been friends for twenty years now and if you were going to leave me because of this little secret,” Jongwoon grumbles to himself, face still a bit red as he wishes for this entire embarrassing morning to just end already. “I may have had to kill you. Especially with all the secrets you’ve kept from me in the past!”

“Well now that that crisis has been solved,” Ryeowook sighs, feeling the headache grow stronger by the moment and looking forward to being alone in the house for once, glad for his need to stay there for once. “Get out of here and bring home the bacon, we’re going to starve tonight unless someone brings home some money.”

He gets grudging acceptance from Henry and wide eyes from Jongwoon and Sungmin, and wonders what he possibly could have said that wasn’t confusing.

“What’s bacon?”

He sighs and buries his face in his hands, shooing them all out of the kitchen and out of the house, hoping the sinking feeling in his stomach is wrong.

***

Sungmin and Jongwoon's eyes are alit with wonder as Henry leads them around the docks, the hustle and bustle of the people a _lot_ more intense than the town they stopped at to rest. There are stalls along the street side of the water, selling everything from food that they had never seen before to fabrics in the brightest colors, their vendors shouting prices and sales. There are so many people that they literally have to shoulder their way through the crowd, Henry dragging Jongwoon by the wrist and Sungmin clinging desperately to the back of Jongwoon's shirt - if they were to get separated in this mess he'd have no idea how to find his way back home.

"How in heaven's name do so many people possibly manage to live in one place?" Sungmin chokes ducking his head so that he doesn't get elbowed in the face by a taller man who isn't paying attention. 

"There's a lot more space than what you're used to," Henry replies over his shoulder, smiling brightly at the awe in both their faces. "Now come on, we need to go find the deck master. He's the one who's in charge of all the ships and their crews. If you're looking for a job, he's the man to go to." Jongwoon and Sungmin nod, not quite understanding but knowing that if they were to get anywhere they had to at least _look_ like they knew what they were doing. They didn't need to attract attention by looking like helpless fools.

The deck master ends up being in a large building at the far end of the shipyard, haggling with a captain on how much to pay his crew. He's a very built, intimidating looking man from behind, and even Henry, who was all smiles and confidence when he asked around for the man's location, gulps imperceptibly as they approach him. 

"Sir? You are the deck master, right? I was told that I could find him here," Henry starts politely as he can as the captain walks away scowling. The deck master turns around to face them, and all three breath a sigh of relief when he's smiling kindly. 

"Ay, that's me. Kim Youngwoon, at your service. What can I do for you?" he introduces himself, holding out a meaty hand to shake. Henry takes it and shakes it with confidence, and when the deck master offers it to Sungmin and Jongwoon he elbows them to do the same.

“These two,” Henry says, gesturing to Sungmin and Jongwoon once he realizes neither of them are going to say anything, muttering something under his breath about having to do all the work before shoving them in front of him, hoping they regain their senses again soon. “Are interested in jobs you might have to offer. Sungmin here is a fisherman, and Jongwoon could be a capable deckhand if you give him a chance.”

Youngwoon looks them over closely and watches with some amusement as they squirm under his gaze, letting them suffer for a few moments before shaking his head and grinning, looking over at the papers on a large desk that lists the current docked ships.

“Well there’s always a need for capable men around here,” He says, marking a few things on papers before handing them off to Sungmin and Jongwoon, and raises an eyebrow when he sees them sigh in relief, but used to strange people coming to him for work. “Go to the ship at the farthest end of the dock, they’ll be setting out tonight in fact, the captain could use some extra man power.”

“Thank you sir,” Henry says, sighing at the still silence emanating from Jongwoon and Sungmin, wanting to kick the both of them for making him do all the talking. “We appreciate it. Jongwoon’s wife would have killed us if these two didn’t come home with jobs tonight.”

Jongwoon gives Henry a glare that could kill and mutters something about respecting your elders, but Youngwoon merely laughs deeply and claps him on the shoulder, nearly knocking him over in the process.

"All right, all you need to do is fill out these forms, and then go talk to the captain. The forms are just so I know who is working where and how much they're getting paid. If some of these captains were in charge they would give their crew pennies on the hour..." he trails off with a scowl as he shuffles through the desk drawers, retrieving an inkwell and a pen. 

Henry rolls back and forth on the balls of his feet, eager to get Jongwoon and Sungmin to the ship so they can set up the jobs they are to work. He peers at Jongwoon whose eyes are scanning the paper, and then to Sungmin, whose brow is furrowed as he looks at the form. "What's the matter, Sungmin?"

Youngwoon looks up curiously to see Sungmin turn bright red in an embarrassed flush. "I... I can't read this," he mumbles, eyes dropping down to the floor. Henry's face is the epitome of shocked, and Jongwoon looks apologetic. He had completely forgotten that Sungmin couldn't read -- being a time keeper required knowing how to read the scrolls to work the clock, but other than the scholars and maybe the healers no one else in their town were taught to read. To everyone's surprise, though, Youngwoon laughs. 

"It's all right," he assures. "I know a lot of the people who come to me are less than fortunate to receive an education. A lot of people these days aren't given the opportunity to learn because they're too busy working to make ends meet. Your friend knows how read, right?" Youngwoon looks over to Jongwoon, who nods. "Have him fill it out for you then."

Sungmin still feels awfully embarrassed, keeping his head bowed. "Thank you, sir," he mumbles, handing Jongwoon his form. Henry rubs Sungmin comfortingly on the back and Jongwoon sends him a silent apology as he takes the pen and inkwell from the deck master.

"Hey," Youngwoon says sternly, and Sungmin looks up, fully prepared for a scolding. Youngwoon only smiles reassuringly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. You're here looking for a job, aren't you? You're not laying around doing nothing, so you should be proud of your work ethic."

“Thank you, sir,” He mumbles back, smiling shyly and even letting out a small laugh when Youngwoon reprimands him to _just call him Youngwoon, sir makes me sound old_. “I’ll certainly try to do my best.”

“That’s right, Ryeona didn’t have to kick you out of the house to find a job like the rest of us,” Henry mutters encouragingly to him, teasing tone still in his voice in an attempt to cheer Sungmin up, not wanting the other man to think himself at all inadequate. Youngwoon hears him anyway and laughs deeply, resting a hand on Jongwoon’s shoulder and raising his eyebrows.

“Your wife sounds like quite the slave driver,” He says with amusement coloring his tone, taking Jongwoon’s wilting in a completely different manner, patting his back in pity. “Don’t worry, she’ll calm down once she knows you’ve found work. Maybe get a nice reward, eh?”

“I hate you, Henry, so, so, much,” Jongwoon mumbles, smiling shakily at Youngwoon and glaring daggers at Henry, filling out his and Sungmin’s forms in neat script, making up what he doesn’t know and only pausing when coming to the surname sections, simply leaving them blank as he’s sure random numbers won’t comply with that. “Can I leave some of these boxes blank?”

“I suppose,” Youngwoon says, raising an eyebrow again and beginning to get the feeling that the two men aren’t exactly normal, a strange aura about them and more confusion than seeming necessary. He’s not one to judge though, and simply shrugs it off, the two of them seeming like kind people. “It’s really just for cataloging purposes. If you have everything filled out, then off to the captain you go, he’ll tell you what to do.”

Jongwoon nods as he gives a final glance over the forms, making sure everything that he can fill out is filled out and seems legit before handing them over to Youngwoon along with the pen and inkwell. "Thank you for giving us this opportunity, si-- Youngwoon," he corrects, remembering the deck master's words. "We really appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it," Youngwoon replies, signing off on the forms and laying them down on a pile of papers. "Like I said, we could always use capable hands. Once you see the captain he'll set you both up on the tasks you're expected to do. He's one of my more trusted men, but with that said, if you have any problems feel free to come see me." 

"We'll keep that in mind," Jongwoon nods, gaining a little more confidence since he hasn't already blown their cover. "So, you said the ship at the end of the dock? That's straight down the way from here, right?" 

Henry nearly facepalms as Youngwoon's eyebrow seems to be permanently raised. "They're new around here," he explains. "I'm helping them settle into town, because they come from the same country I came from so I know what it's like to be lost in a new place." He slips into his native tongue, raising his tone in an obvious question and Sungmin nods in agreement, acting like he understood what he said. 

Luckily for them, Youngwoon buys their story. "I see. Well that explains a lot of your clueless expressions when you came in. Here, let me make your jobs easier, then." He disappears behind a stack of boxes further into the room, returning with a piece of parchment. "Here's a map for you, so that if your guide isn't able to help you around town you won't be too lost."

Sungmin takes the maps from him and bows his head gratefully, he had been quite worried about what would have happened once Henry left them, especially if they were traveling at night, but at least now they would have a map in their possession to help them, and he’s quite sure that Jongwoon will be able to read it. 

“Thank you for all your help, Youngwoon,” Jongwoon says again, and also nods at Henry for covering for them, glad at least one of them knows their way around. “We’re in your debt.”

Youngwoon simply waves them off again and shoos them out of the building and down the docks, telling them to get a move on before the captain finds someone else to fill the available spots on his crew, shaking his head fondly as they stumble their way between the people again, signed papers and map in hand.

“What a strange bunch,” He murmurs to himself, watching the most obviously foreign of them say some quick instructions before bounding off into town, Sungmin and Jongwoon arguing with each other for a few moments before Sungmin begins to drag Jongwoon to the end of the dock. He simply sighs and goes back to his paperwork, realizing the pile he has for the day has only grown since the three stumbled into his office. “Something tells me they’re going to need all the luck they can get.”

Henry stands at the other end of the dock and watches the bustle and hustle continue, Sungmin and Jongwoon handing their papers over to the assigned captain and looking nothing less than terrified. He sends up a quick prayer in his native tongue to whatever god may be listening and turns back to town, frowning at the multitude of shops along the edge, sighing as he sees the long afternoon ahead of him.

“Luzo help all of us,” He mutters to himself, and then he’s off, cringing only slightly when he enters the first shop to see a hawk eyed old woman staring him down, blanching slightly. “I think we’re going to need it.”

***

Ryeowook is preparing dinner, hoping that the other three had luck in finding jobs as he stirs the stew on the fire, when he hears the front door bound open. His heart leaps into his throat until he hears Henry call out "I'm back!", and he visibly relaxes. 

"How'd it go?" he calls in reply, turning back to the food as he hears Henry stripping off his shoes and wincing as he hears them flop, most likely haphazardly in the corner by the door. Henry slinks into the kitchen and slumps into a chair at the table. 

"I found a job washing dishes at a food stand," Henry says, his voice muffled because his head is in his arms and the table absorbs most of the sound. "But I don't actually wash the dishes. I just carry the heavy tub of dish water to dump and then fill it back up and carry it back."

"You poor baby," Ryeowook chuckles, ladling the hot stew into a bowl and setting it by Henry's head, "actually having to work now. You have it so rough."

Henry sits up slowly, the dark look of irritation almost comical on his face. "I resent that," he grumbles. "You know I've always worked hard. You've been so mean to me lately, Wook." He scoots the bowl closer to him and takes a vicious bite out of the stew, only to wail and spit it out because it's too hot to eat and he scalds his tongue. 

Ryeowook resists the urge to coo at Henry's childishness and ruffles his hair. "I'm only teasing you, Henry. You know you'll always be my favorite brat. I tease because I care." Henry wrinkles his nose, eyes still watering from the burn as he mutters, _yeah, whatever_ before blowing on his food.

“That should be your slogan, ‘Ryeowook: I tease because I care’,” Henry grumbles to himself, poking disdainfully at the steaming soup and waiting for it to cool, eyeing the next bite suspiciously. “And we managed to find your husband a job too, he and Sungmin should be back late tonight or early tomorrow, we managed to get the deck master to believe they were foreign too.”

Ryeowook huffs as Henry mentions Jongwoon, smacking him on the head with his ladle before going back to stirring the rest of the soup, muttering about having wished to know that the ship would be out at night, he wouldn’t have made so much food if he’d known.

“And I wish you’d stop with the husband cracks,” He complains, setting a bowl down for himself and sitting across from Henry, glaring at his friends and setting a pout on his lips, making sure to blow on the spoon before putting it in his mouth. “Don’t think I haven’t seen how you look at Sungmin.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Henry mumbles around a mouthful of stew, not meeting Ryeowook’s eyes and biting his lip lightly, not having wanted to have this conversation, ever. “Sungmin is a great guy, and if I can help him by sharing my experiences then I will, nothing more.”

Ryeowook simply raises an eyebrow, and Henry glares back stubbornly, not willing to admit to anything more than that, and feels a bit triumphant when Ryeowook shakes his head and sighs, thinking he’s won. He frowns when Ryeowook speaks again though, thinking he should have known that his friend would never have let him off easily.

"Is that so? Then you won't mind switching Jongwoon places in the bedroom situation then," he states, holding the spoon thoughtfully in his mouth. "I'm sure it's not a problem, right? After all, haven't you been complaining about me squeezing the life out of you in my sleep?"

Henry splutters, nearly spewing food across the table, making sure not to choke on his food as he hurriedly swallows to protest. "Ryeowook! That's not fair! Jongwoon comes along and all of a sudden you're throwing me to the dogs!" 

Ryeowook grins wickedly, taking another bite of stew as he waggles his eyebrows suggestively. "You seem awfully upset about this. I thought you were okay with me and Jongwoon being together, since you keep calling us a married couple! Come on, it's just a sleeping arrangement until we earn enough money to buy more cots. What's the big deal?"

Henry chooses not to answer, ignoring Ryeowook in favor of stuffing his mouth with as much food as his chubby cheeks would fit. He swallows some of it, and after a while he opts for not looking at Ryeowook as he mutters, "You're supposed to be the one with the silly crush, not me."

The older man's lips curl upward in a gleeful smile. "So you admit it! Henry, I'm so proud of you," he practically sings, snickering at the blush that paints Henry's cheeks. "My little Henry, growing up so fast. So when are you going to tell him?" 

"I'm not," Henry replies adamantly, taking another forceful bite. "You know how religious he is. It was difficult enough for Jongwoon to get over his little thing and tell you. Somehow I don't think Sungmin would be that willing. I'm totally okay with things the way they are now."

"Henry," Ryeowook blanches, suddenly completely serious. "Do you know what Sungmin told me when he caught me and Jongwoon on the couch this morning?"

“That it’s some high sin of Luzo and if he wasn’t the saint that he was then you’d be condemned to hell for eternity?” Henry mumbles, still feeling less than pleased that Ryeowook dragged such a confession out of him, having wanted his little crush to have stayed a secret for all eternity preferably.

“No you idiot,” Ryeowook says, slight frustration entering his tone, he should have known Henry would be like this. “He told me that he didn’t believe Luzo would condemn anyone for loving someone, regardless of their gender. Very proudly might I add, I don’t think your little puppy love crush would effect his opinion of you at all, you know that’s not the kind of man he is.”

“Why don’t you just give yourself a chance at happiness, Henry?” He says, sighing a bit as Henry continues to glower at him, seeming to mull over his words slowly, but not giving away anything on his face. “No one is going to tell you it’s wrong here, you can be whoever you want to be.”

“I’m not going to jeopardize the relationship we all have now because of how I feel,” Henry says fiercely, putting up a hand before Ryeowook can protest again. “You and Jongwoon were different, it was blatantly obvious how you two felt for each other, I was going to lock you two in a room together if something didn’t happen soon.”

“Well it certainly wasn’t obvious to me,” Ryeowook grumbles, remembering his own disbelief when he sat in the hallway with the other man, side eyeing his friend before retorting on his own, setting down his spoon and crossing his arms over his chest. “And besides, you don’t see what I do. Give it a chance, Henry, I promise you won’t regret it.”

"No," Henry says firmly. "Look, can we please just drop it? I'm happy for you and Jongwoon, I really am, but that doesn't make you a relationship expert all of a sudden." Ryeowook flinches at Henry's words and he immediately regrets saying them. "I'm sorry, Ryeowook," he murmurs, finishing off his food and standing to place the dishes in the bucket for washing. "I'm going to go wash up."

He heads through the back door to the well to draw some bath water, and Ryeowook knows Henry must be upset when he's actually willing to take a bath. He's a little hurt by Henry's words but he knows he probably shouldn't have pushed the younger boy so far. He sighs, following Henry's suit and putting his empty dish in the bucket before going to stand at the window in the living room, shoving the small worry down the pit of his stomach and wishing the other two would get home soon.

***

"That took entirely way too much effort," Jongwoon sighs, relieved when the cabin finally comes into sight, barely visible in the moonlight. "I can't believe how lost we got trying to get home. I just want to go to sleep."

"I would help if I could actually read that forsaken map," Sungmin grumbles, gesturing to the parchment in Jongwoon's hand. "But whatever, I just really hope Ryeowook made something to eat. That captain was kind but he certainly knows how to work you to the bone. I've never seen so many fish at one time, that was amazing! And the ship, how does something so big stay afloat on the water like that?"

"I don't know," Jongwoon replies wearily, "but speak for yourself. That was _not_ amazing, that was horrible and it rocked way too much and I was naseous the whole time." 

"You were just nervous because of the water," Sungmin says comfortingly. "You'll get used to it. Now let's get..." he trailed off as he spotted a figure sitting against a tree near the beach, a little way up past the sand line and staring out at the ocean. "Is that Henry?"

"Looks like it," Jongwoon replies, squinting in the darkness to make out the form. "I wonder what he's doing out here."

Sungmin frowns worriedly. "I'll go talk to him. Go see Ryeowook, yeah? And if there's dinner left save me some."

Jongwoon waves at him tiredly and Sungmin snorts, knowing there’s little chance of any food being saved for him when the other man looks like he’s going to pass out within moments of entering the house. He shrugs anyway, Henry probably needs him more than he needs food, he’ll survive a bit more without it.

He only falters slightly as he approaches the other man, a contemplative look on his face as he stares at the moon, young eyes looking so much older as the moonlight hits him, and Sungmin thinks that he can see the sad depths within them. It’s a little bit beautiful, and brings to his mind Henry’s near panic attack from the other day, and he wonders what has been eating at the younger man, approaching him slowly.

“Hey, Henry,” He says softly, not wanting to forcibly break the other man’s reverie and smiling gently when surprised eyes turn on him, Henry’s back straightening against the tree and scooting slightly away from Sungmin, a short sigh leaving his lips. “What are you doing out here? It’s late, shouldn’t you be sleeping already?”

“Ryeowook and I had a bit of a disagreement,” He says shortly, eyes softening a bit when he realizes this isn’t Sungmin’s fault, it’s his own for being stupid and falling a bit for the one person he’s sure he can’t have. “And it’s always been relaxing for me to watch the moon, it’s been the one constant in my life. It doesn’t matter what country you’re in, the moon and the stars remain the same.”

Sungmin doesn't say anything to betray the twinge of exclusion he feels, having missed out on the beauty of the real stars and moon for so long. Instead, he says, "I see. It's good that you have something that clears your mind." They stay like that for a while, both looking up at the sky, Henry from his seat and Sungmin from where he stands. Then Sungmin looks back down at Henry, and shifts uncomfortably on his feet. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" 

Henry tears his gaze away from the orb in the sky, turning to meet Sungmin's uncertain look, and hesitates only briefly before scooting over so that Sungmin could sit next to him. He berates himself for letting himself get caught in such a compromising position, but this is what he wants, right? To be comfortable around Sungmin without him realizing his feelings? He sighs quietly as there's a silence between them, not quite comfortable, but not exactly tense, either. 

Sungmin leans back against the bark, not missing the way Henry's shoulders tense as their arms brush. The look of contemplation in the younger man's eyes tells him that there's something working in his brain that he's not sharing, and it strikes him that he is so _tired_ of all the secrets all four of them hold. He decides that if no one will start sharing, then he will. "I lost my mother when I was ten years old," he starts, reaching into his pocket where he still carries the ruined portrait, holding it out for Henry to see. "And when she died she was being investigated for heresy."

Henry's eyes widen at the admission, looking at the paper in Sungmin's hand and realizing immediately that this must have been what broke Sungmin yesterday, the fact that it was ruined. "Wh-what happened?" he asks shakily, not sure if Sungmin is willing to delve that much deeper into his past. 

"My mother was a very curious woman," Sungmin explains quietly, his eyes taking a very far-away look to them. "In my town everyone has their own profession. As you saw, my father was an Elder, for example. My mother was a scholar, and she loved to figure out things. New things, old things, it didn't matter to her so long as she learned something new every day. But it was her hunger for knowledge that got her into trouble."

“We’re a lot alike in that respect really,” Sungmin chuckles sadly, not meeting Henry’s eyes and trying to detach himself from the situation as he speaks, looking up at the moon and painfully aware of Henry’s eyes tracing his every move. “She actually had been teaching me how to read before her death, it’s the only reason I know what I do of letters and handwriting.”

“But my mother had discovered some forbidden scrolls during her research. They were only to be read by the highest of the elders, but her curiosity got the better of her,” Sungmin continues, tone slightly bitter, and Henry scoots a bit closer to him, ignoring the little voice that tells him to stay as far away as possible. “She was caught reading them by my father, and turned in to be lashed in front of the community for her crimes of reading tomes that only those closest to Luzo should have seen.”

“I don’t know how much she was lashed, but she wasn’t the same when she returned,” Sungmin says softly, trailing off slightly as he remembers, remembers his mother lying there on her bed, stare blank and unseeing no matter what he said to her, seemingly dead already. “I cared for her wounds, but when I woke up in the morning, she was gone.”

“You never saw her again?” Henry says, Sungmin barely able to hear him his voice is so quiet, but he merely shakes his head, laughing bitterly.

“No, my father told me she passed in her sleep. The funeral was closed casket,” He says with some disdain, remembering how calm his father was in the state of his own mental breakdown, almost eerily so. “But I heard a door in the middle of the night, I know he was lying to me. Father said it was her fate for betraying the trust of Luzo, and from then on Sungjin and I were forbidden from speaking of her. This portrait was all I have....had left.”

Sungmin feels his lip quivering as he finishes up his story, fingers gripping the portrait tightly. Henry feels like his mind is screaming at him to get up and walk away but his heart is clenching for the older man, and so he hesitantly puts a hand over Sungmin's in an attempt to comfort him. "Your mother must have been an amazing woman," he murmurs, "because someone has to take credit for raising you to be the kind of man you are today and somehow I don't think your father is qualified for that."

The teary laugh that escapes Sungmin's lips tells Henry that he may be better at this comforting thing than he thought he was. "I know what it's like to lose someone that you care so much for," he goes on, choosing to barrel through his past before he chickens out and let Sungmin know that he's not alone. He promised Jongwoon he would do his best to help fix his broken friend and he has every intention on making good on his promise. 

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Sungmin mumbles, regretting his anger earlier at all the secrets and knowing that he can't be the only person in the world who's had it bad. "If it's too painful..."

"Sungmin, you gave up everything to save my life," Henry interrupts. "The least I can do for you is stand by you and let you know you're not alone. We've all got some kind of pain in our past, and besides... it's probably good to let it out, after so long..." he trails off a little bit, before taking a deep breath and starting his story. 

***

_Henry feels his heart pounding as he cowers in the corner of the living room, clutching his little sister protectively even though he doesn't feel very brave right now. His mother hugs them both tight to her chest as his father and brother stand behind the barricade of the door, bracing it against the constant pounding. There's shouting on the other side and though he doesn't understand what's going on, he knows that if the people on the other side get in that it would be very bad._

_"I love you both very much," his mother chants into their ears as she rocks them. The pounding gets louder, and his father yells for his mother to come help hold the door. She nearly wails, pressing harsh kisses to each of their foreheads before standing to help her husband and oldest son._

_"I can't keep them out forever! Clinton, take your brother and sister and hide!" their father yells._

_"No way, I won't leave you here, Dad!" Clinton argues, grimacing as a particularly forceful pound hits the barricade painfully into his back, his feet slipping a little on the wooden floor._

_"Do not_ argue _with me!" the eldest Lau growls, pushing his shoulder hard against the barricade. "Take them and keep them safe!"_

_"Go," their mother breathes, hardly audible against the din. Clinton looks reproachful but the woman shoves him in the direction of his siblings. He scoops Whitney into his arms, the young toddler barely able to walk let alone run, and drags Henry by the hand to the kitchen. He reaches into the closet by the back door, grabbing their shoes and shoving them on Whitney's feet, then Henry's, not even bothering with his own before pulling their cloaks on over them._

_A bang and a scream makes Clinton look frantically over his shoulder, wrentching the door open and jumping down the stairs as he hears his mother wail, "No, stop! Not my babies!" Henry stumbles over his feet as he tries to keep up with his brother's pace as they disappear into the trees, the house vanishing from their view behind them. Once in the cover of the undergrowth, he stops, panting and handing Whitney to Henry._

_"Henry you have to listen to me very closely," he gasps. "I'm going back to help Mom and Dad. I want you to take Whitney and keep running until you get to the river. Once you get to it follow it all the way upstream until you reach the town. You remember Mimi, right? And Mama and Baba Zhou? I want you to look for them there, and tell them that Mom and Dad need help."_

_"But," Henry protests, "but Clinton, what about you? It's not safe, the men will get you!"_

_"Henry you have to do this," Clinton warns, hugging his little brother in a way Henry has never been hugged before, before giving him a push. "Now run. Run and whatever you do, don't stop until you get there."_

_Henry feels lost as Clinton dashes away from him, back to the house they just fled from, and he hesitates only a moment before grabbing onto Whitney’s hand, shushing her and pulling her along through the forest, murmuring quickly under his breath that everything will be okay, they’re all going to be fine, they’ll wake up soon and it will have all been a dream, just get to the river, the river._

_He’s panting by the time they make it out of the forest, harder than he has in his entire life and Whitney is close to hysterics, having long been transferred to Henry’s back when her tiny legs couldn’t hold from the exertion anymore, clutching her older brother’s neck in a death grip._

_He’s nearly made it all the way to the river when he hears the shouts behind him, willing his legs to go as quickly as they can and cursing that there’s nowhere to hide, pushing his legs to the limit._

_He feels his heart drop to his stomach when he feels a hand grab his collar, yanking him to the ground when he’s mere inches from the river’s edge, colliding face first into the bank. He reaches furiously for Whitney from where she fell, but the men make it there first, ripping her from his grip as he feels hands grab his arms, pinning him down._

_“Well, a couple of kids, huh?” The man with Whitney struggling in his arms sneers, eyes crinkled in amusement as they gaze into Henry’s own wide and tearful ones, thrashing wildly against those holding him down and close to screaming as the man pulls a short blade out of his belt, twirling it in his fingers. “Looks like you were so close to escaping too, what a pity.”_

_The only sound is a scream as the man’s blade slides quick over Whitney’s throat, Henry’s name on her lips as she cries out for him, and Henry feels his blood run cold, watching hers spill over her clothes, shocked eyes going blank as the man tosses her to the side, smiling coldly as his eyes move to Henry, screaming wildly and thrashing even harder._

__I don’t want to die _, is all he can think, struggling as the still bloody knife comes closer and closer to him, tears sliding rapidly down his face as all he can see is Whitney’s body falling brokenly to the ground, lifeless eyes staring back at him, screaming until his throat feels raw._

_“I think we have another fate for you, little one,” The man sneers, signaling the man holding Henry to the river, mimicking dunking his head under the current, grinning as Henry’s eyes only grow wider and more horrified. “You were so desperate to get to the river before, why not become more intimately aquainted?”_

_Henry wants to scream and kick, but his mouth is covered before he’s unceremoniously dunked into the water, and it’s mere seconds before it’s filling his mouth, water beginning to fill his lungs and he thinks he really may die here, beginning to feel light headed and the blackness creep in on the edge of his vision, completely out of air and hope._

_It’s when he can barely feel his heart beating anymore that suddenly he isn’t held down anymore, being yanked out of the water and tossed back onto the embankment, air coming into his lungs in a rush and bile leaving his throat quickly, water and filth covering the shore, hair plastered to his face and tears continuing to run down his cheeks._

_He sees the men who held him and his sister captive dead around them, blood sinking into the sand and one man he hadn’t seen before standing solitary in the middle of it all, cleaning off a sword quite nonchalantly._

_“Oh so you are alive then,” He says simply, walking over to where Henry lay coughing and wailing, seeing Whitney still lying there broken and raising an entirely fresh wave of grief, thinking of how he’s failed his entire family, that he should be dead. “Quit that screaming, at least you’re still alive.”_

_Henry feels the slap across the face acutely and calms down, if only slightly, and recognizes the look in the man’s eyes as pity, taking the handkerchief offered to him with a slight amount of confusion, head still very much swimming and wanting nothing but to have just drowned, feeling he should have died in Whitney’s place._

_“Who are you?” He whispers hoarsely, curling into himself and not even making the attempt to stand, knowing he would simply fall right back over, having no strength left in his body. “Where is my family?”_

_“My name is Han Geng, I’m a slave trader,” The man says softly, frowning as he takes in Henry’s blank eyes and the desolate holes in them, hoping that he isn’t completely broken or he won’t be of much use to have saved. “And I’m sorry kid, but I don’t know.”_

_"I need to go back," Henry moans, rolling over on to his hands and knees and attempting to crawl over to Whitney, to pick her up and take her home, to face his parents and admit his shame and failure even though even his seven-year-old mind knows that their chances are slim, seeing as these men just slaughtered a defenseless three-year-old girl. "My mommy, my daddy... Clinton... I have to... have to..." Tears stream down his dirty face as his knees give out beneath him just feet away from his sister's body, fingers brushing her hair tenderly as he sobs._

_"Kid, did you not hear me say I'm a slave trader?" Han Geng states, pity gone and all business now. "I saved your life, and now you're in my debt. You aren't going anywhere but with me."_

_"No, please!" Henry wails, scooting closer to Whitney and burying his face in the crown of her head. "Please, just let me go home, I need to see them! I'll go with you, just please let me see them!" he begs, losing even the strength to cry._

_"I don't have that kind of time to waste," Han Geng says emotionlessly, sheathing his finally-clean sword as he reaches down to drag Henry off the ground. Henry screams bloody murder, adrenaline renewed at the thought of being taken away, clinging to his sister._

_"Whitney!_ Whitney! _Please, don't make me leave her! Don't make me! Please!"_

_Han Geng sighs, thinking that this is going to be more of a challenge than he thought. "Would you like to say a few words over her body? Quite honestly I think your family is dead, kid, you might as well give her the closest bells and whistles of a ceremony as you can while you have the chance." Henry merely sobs as he shakes his head furiously, refusing to let her go. Han Geng rests his forehead in his hand, not wanting to resort to force but having no other choice, picking the kicking and screaming Henry from the ground and forcing him to sit a good distance away. Henry tries to fight back but he simply has no more strength left._

_Han Geng reaches for a flask on his belt as he walks back over to the girl, pulling the cork out with his teeth and pouring its contents over Whitney. "May her soul find eternal peace," he says simply, replacing the flask and pulls a flint on a string from around his neck. He picks a stone up from the ground and strikes the flint, setting Whitney's body ablaze in a crude cremation._

_Henry's eyes go wide with shock, his ears filling with the most inhuman sound he's ever heard, not realizing that it's his own screaming. Han Geng turns without a second glance, picking Henry up and settling him on his hip, walking away with a steady pace. Henry watches the fire with tear-filled eyes, Whitney's last cries of "Henli!" echoing loudly in his ears, until the last of his energy drains from him. He welcomes the blackness that takes him away._

***

Sungmin is crying silent tears as Henry finishes his story, eyes empty and staring blankly out toward the ocean. Henry has cried all the tears he has for his family -- there simply aren't any left.

“And then I was eventually sold to Ryeowook, and he wanted me for a friend more than a slave anyway," Henry says, and for the first time some emotion besides endless loneliness enters his voice, a small spark re-entering his empty eyes. “He saved my life, and I’ll forever be grateful for that, but I’ve lost everything else in my life, I’ll eventually lose him too.”

“Everyone in this world who I have loved has left me,” He says softly, still not meeting Sungmin’s eyes and closing his own, tired of reliving that day every time he open his eyes, so tired of wondering what he could have done differently. “And one day I will be alone again, I’m just waiting in terror for it to come. I’m so afraid Sungmin, _I don’t want to be alone_ , I don’t-”

And then there’s warm hands cupping his cheeks, eyes shooting open as he feels salt drift over his lips and mingle with the taste of Sungmin, the other man’s lips covering his own in a sweet and soft kiss, pulling back after seconds that feel like hours to gaze fiercely into Henry’s eyes, speaking harshly and smoothing his thumbs gently over Henry’s cheekbones.

“Henry, listen to me,” Sungmin says, making sure Henry is looking at him, voice intense even as the tears continue to slide down his cheeks, sure that he is only feeling a fraction of the pain that Henry has spent _years_ dealing with, wanting to take it all away if he could. “I will never leave you, and that is a promise. Even if you fall to the very bottom of the ocean you will never lose me, I swear it.”

Some kind of dam breaks within Henry as Sungmin’s words reach his ears, seeing nothing but love in the other man’s eyes, and just like that he feels like he’s a child again, throwing his arms around Sungmin’s shoulders and simply sobbing into the older man’s neck, feeling a great weight lift off his shoulders and a shaky smile even begin to pull at his lips.

Sungmin only pulls Henry tighter against him and whispers soft words into his ear, sensing that the other man needs this, has needed this for years. He runs a soothing hand down Henry’s back and watches him break and pull himself together again right in front of him, tears warm against the cool skin of his neck.

“Thank you,” Henry whispers hoarsely when he feels a break in the stream of tears, not daring to look up and see Sungmin’s face, what he’ll surely think of him. “So much, thank you, Sungmin.”

...

Ryeowook is sitting curled up on the couch, biting his thumbnail worriedly, when Jongwoon finally steps through the door, looking for all the world like he hasn't slept in days. Ryeowook jumps up, relieved that he finally made it home, and _safely_ , but Jongwoon notices the fretting in his eyes. 

"Why are you still awake?" Jongwoon asks, raising a concerned eyebrow. "You didn't wait up for us to get home, did you?"

Ryeowook looks down at his feet. "Yes and no," he admits. "I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to until I knew you two found your way back alright. And..." he trails off. 

"And?" Jongwoon presses. 

"And Henry and I fought. Well, I teased and he got angry. But I'm worried about him, he's just been sitting out under that tree for hours and I'm afraid that if I try to say anything to him he's just going to push me away even more and--" 

Jongwoon pulls Ryeowook into a loose hug, effectively cutting Ryeowook's tirade off. "Take a breath, Ryeowook. Sungmin saw him out there and went to talk to him. I'm sure whatever is bothering him, Sungmin will help him." Ryeowook bites his lip, clearly knowing something that he doesn't, and he furrows his brow in suspicion. "What?"

"Henry likes Sungmin," Ryeowook blurts, and Jongwoon is confused.

"Okay, so he likes Sungmin. I like him too, he's my best friend. What about it?"

Ryeowook throws his hands in the air. "No, Jongwoon, he _likes_ Sungmin. Like how you like me," he clarifies, and Jongwoon's mouth opens up in a wide 'o' shape. "So now I'm worried even more, that's what me and him fought over. Henry was adamant that he wouldn't say anything to Sungmin but if they're out there alone, I have no idea what's going to happen."

Jongwoon spends a moment thinking, forehead creasing and tightening his arms subtly around Ryeowook’s waist, not liking the hopeless worry in the other man’s eyes and doing his best to calm him down, speaking softly.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” He says, looking Ryeowook dead in the eye and smiling lightly, trying to battle the suspicion is Ryeowook’s gaze. “Trust me on this, if I know Sungmin then Henry’s cause may not be as hopeless as he thinks it is. And even if he’s wrong, I know that Sungmin would never hurt him.”

“Besides,” He continues, seeing some of the worry creases in Ryeowook’s forehead dissipate as he mulls over Jongwoon’s words, some of the stress easing from his shoulders. “I think they need this talk, the both of them. They’re probably more similar than they think, I think they really need each other.”

Ryeowook sighs, leaning forward until his forehead rest on Jongwoon’s chest, hoping for all he’s worth that the other man is right and there won’t be any negative repercussions from all of this, he’s not sure if he’ll ever be able to forgive himself if something goes wrong and Henry breaks, remembering the desolate stare in his eyes when they first met, never wanting to see that ever again.

“I suppose we’ll just have to wait it out, won’t we?” He says softly, gathering what comfort he can from Jongwoon’s words and Jongwoon’s arms around him, that twinge of guilt stinging in his chest again as Jongwoon’s willingness to help him and share anything and everything with him shows again, his own secrets suffocating him. 

Jongwoon simply hums, hoping beyond hope that things go well for his friend, having been worried for Sungmin since the other day when his mother’s picture broke, hoping that whatever he and Henry talk about doesn’t break him as well, like shattered glass on the floor. He sighs and guides Ryeowook over to the couch, dragging him down with him and pulling him close against him, sharp eyes on the door as he tries to keep the other man calm.

"Ryeowook, go to sleep," he whispers, unsure of what to do to comfort the other man, still unused to this kind of intimacy with anyone. So he settles for going with what his gut and his heart tells him, pushing Ryeowook's head down gently to lay on his chest, resting his chin on the other's crown and tracing circles on the younger man's biceps. 

A frown graces Ryeowook's lips, but he lets Jongwoon's warmth envelop him and he realizes just how tired he really is, letting his eyes fall closed. "I can't sleep, though," he murmurs. "I have to stay awake at least until they come back in. I have to make sure Henry is okay..." 

"Now you're just being petulant," Jongwoon chuckles softly, moving to stroke Ryeowook's hair. "They'll be alright. You've stayed up late enough, get some rest okay?" Ryeowook whines in his throat in protest, and Jongwoon shushes him. "We'll stay out here if it makes you feel better? That way we'll hear when they come in." To this, Ryeowook acquiesces, nodding into Jongwoon's shirt. Jongwoon keeps stroking Ryeowook's hair, until the younger man's breathing evens out. 

It is only when he feels Ryeowook's puffs of warm breath through the fabric of his shirt that he dares to look down over him, examining him this close for the first time. He already knew that Ryeowook was attractive (it was probably why the man sent his hormones into overdrive in the first place, Jongwoon realizes with a soft sigh), but watching him sleep like this, face serene and bangs falling to cover his eyes, his fingers curling lightly into Jongwoon's sides... the sight is breathtaking, and it makes Jongwoon's heart flutter. 

_Maybe it isn't just hormones,_ Jongwoon thinks, gentle fingers brushing the long hair out of Ryeowook's face and tucking it behind his ear. _I think I really may be in love with him._ And shockingly enough, it doesn't bother him as much as he should. If someone had asked him a week ago if falling in love with a man was a sure way to be doomed to hell, he wouldn't have hesistated in saying yes. But if Luzo so despised such a thing, why did he even make it possible in the first place? Jongwoon sighs again, wrapping his arms low around Ryeowook's waist again and settling a little deeper into the sofa. He could live knowing he would be doomed in the afterlife, if every night is as good as this. 

Jongwoon isn't sure when he fell asleep, but he nearly leaps off the sofa, taking Ryeowook with him, when the front door creaks open. His sleep-addled mind takes longer than normal to register where he is, and even longer to realize who it is that is trying their hardest to sneak in quietly through the front door.

“Min?” He says softly, eyebrows hitting his hairline as he sees Sungmin walk awkwardly through the door, jumping as he hears his voice and with Henry sleeping in his arms, head lulling against his shoulder. “What happened? Is Henry okay?”

“He will be,” Sungmin says, equally as soft, eyes looking tired and barely acknowledging Ryeowook curled up against his friend, settling for adjusting Henry in his arms and hushing him when he stirs, wanting to allow the younger man some deserved rest after being so emotionally spent. “Eventually. It’s not my place to tell, but Henry’s had a lot of sorrow in his past, I think tonight is the first time he’s actually let it all out.”

“You’re wrong,” A small voice says as Ryeowook blinks sleepily, raising himself from Jongwoon’s chest and looking at Sungmin curiously, a gleam of hope in his eyes as he sees how peacefully Henry is resting. “He told me once, and only once, years ago. I assume you know the same as I do now, so you might as well hear the story from where he met me, it may help you understand him more.”

Jongwoon blinks in confusion, but accepts that there’s some things he’s simply not meant to know, scooting a bit away from Ryeowook as he starts to feel self conscious, until it’s merely their thighs touching on the couch, settling a hand on Ryeowook’s hip as he pauses.

“Though I find it hard to believe that he opened up to you like that,” Ryeowook muses aloud, raising an eyebrow in Sungmin’s direction because as much as he wants it to be true, and for Henry to have placed that much trust in Sungmin and have it returned, experience has taught him to be wary of such seemingly easy truths. “It took him years to tell me everything that brought him here, yet he’s known you only a few weeks. You must be really be special, Sungmin.”

"Yes, well," Sungmin whispers, setting the sleeping Henry down on the other end of the sofa and letting his head rest on the arm. "I hardly think he would have told me this soon if you hadn't met him first. He really does feel like he owes his life to you. Don't sell yourself short, Ryeowook." 

Ryeowook flushes a little bit and Jongwoon looks back and forth between the two, feeling extremely lost, and Ryeowook crosses his arms over his chest looking very insecure as he leans into Jongwoon's shoulder. He takes a deep breath before he begins. "You wouldn't guess it from how strong and happy he acts today, but I do not doubt that if I hadn't met Henry the day that I did he probably wouldn't have lasted much longer. I..." he bites his lips, as if he's ashamed to admit the circumstances under which he met Henry, but Jongwoon nudges him gently with his elbow to go on.

"I was ten, almost eleven years old, out in town with my uncle -- that's who I lived with, by the way, before all this," he interjects, stopping Sungmin's interruption. "I'm not proud of this, nor do I condone it, but my uncle was looking to buy slaves. I come from a more fortunate family than most." 

Jongwoon's eyebrows furrows. Slavery was not an entirely foreign concept to him, but it _was_ unthinkable to him. People were equal in the eyes of Luzo, and to be sold and treated as property... it did not sit well with him. But he says nothing as Ryeowook's shameful eyes stare at Henry's sleeping form, as if he felt responsible for all the things that had happened to him. 

"The auction was the most despicable thing I had ever seen. People were chained together, herded like cattle onto a stage and sold off like crops at the market," Ryeowook scowls, tears coming to his eyes. "They were filthy, and malnourished and I'd be willing to bet they hid bruises under their clothes from where they'd been beaten into submission. And their eyes... all of their eyes were filled with nothing but fear. Fear and contempt for their captors. My uncle bought four that day."

"Just as we were leaving, they brought up the last of the slaves they were selling for the day. And at the very end, chained just a little bit looser than everyone else, was a little boy whose eyes were different from the others. They were completely empty, and blank... as if he were dead already, walking with no purpose other than waiting for death to take him. Those eyes haunted me, and I remember..." Ryeowook takes a shuddering breath. "I remember stopping my uncle, telling him to wait, and we stood and watched as everyone around him was sold. People didn't even spare him a second glance, and one man even blatantly rejected the auctioneer's offer to sell him for cheap just to get him off his hands."

"They were treating him like a piece of unwanted trash..." Ryeowook sobs quietly. "I begged my uncle to buy him, to let me bring him home and _save_ him, and if there is one thing that I can thank the man for it would be that he relented. He bought Henry, and I swore that if it was the last thing I did I would put the life back in those eyes. I refused to chain him on the way home, much to the contempt of the other slaves my uncle had bought, and I brought him home and cleaned him and fed him. But he didn't say a single thing. He barely looked at me, and it took me seven months to even get him to say a word."

"Part of me was doing it for selfish reasons -- I didn't have any friends, save for Donghae and Hyukjae, who I rarely saw because they lived so far away -- but... it just broke my heart to see someone so completely broken at such a young age."

Ryeowook finishes with a small shiver and brings his hand up to wipe at his eyes and the traitorous tears that slipped out, the mere memory of his time in the beginning with Henry making him angry inside, angry for the small broken boy with the dead eyes that had everything taken from him. He nearly starts when he feels Jongwoon’s arms come around his shoulders, looking up to see the other man biting his lip and looking terribly unsure of himself, and it almost brings a smile to his lips.

Sungmin sighs as he watches the shy interaction between the two and mulls over Ryeowook’s words in his head, shuddering at how well he can put together the image of a younger Henry, the desolate eyes he’d seen not an hour before on a smaller body, wanting nothing more than to fix the younger man and take away at least some of that pain that had been plaguing him for years.

“I see,” He says slowly, thinking carefully before he speaks, not wanting to have to watch Ryeowook break down in front of him too, seeing still slightly teary eyes looking questionably back at him. “That was a good deed for you to do though, Ryeowook. Whatever secrets your keeping, you’re a good person. Thank you, for taking care of him.”

“I suppose that will be your job from now on?” Ryeowook smiles tiredly and leans into Jongwoon’s arm, emotionally spent and wanting nothing more than to go to bed now that he know Henry will be okay. “Just make sure to be careful with him, you know what he’s had to go through, Sungmin.”

Sungmin nods as a small blush colors his features, Ryeowook’s implications bringing a tiny smile to his lips. He moves to gather up Henry into his arms again and his smile grows when the younger man mumbles in his sleep, leaning into Sungmin’s touch and not protesting as he adjusts him.

“I’ll drop him off in bed and then take the couch for the night,” Sungmin announces, making his way to Henry’s room, calling back softly to Jongwoon and Ryeowook, seeing them get up slowly as well. “It’s been a long day and I think we could all use a rest, we can discuss this more in the morning if it’s needed.” 

He hears them murmur their agreement, and hears them get up from the sofa to make their way to the room he normally shares with Jongwoon as he nudges the bedroom door open with his hip. He leaves it cracked open, fully intended to close it quietly behind him when he goes back out to lay on the sofa. The bed is neatly made, probably Ryeowook's doing, so somehow manages to pull the blanket back without dropping Henry unceremoniously onto the cot.

Henry just looks so peaceful when he sleeps, more his age than the normally strong and optimistic man that he acts during the day, that Sungmin has to resist the urge to coo when the boy sighs contently when he pulls the blanket up to his shoulders. "Sleep well, Henry," Sungmin whispers, pushing the bangs out of his face before turning and heading for the door. He's almost out the door, the wooden structure halfway shut, when he hears a quiet voice.

"Sungmin?" Henry calls softly. Sungmin freezes with his hand on the knob, and Henry takes his silence as an acknowledgement. "Will... will you stay with me tonight?" His voice sounds so meek and cautious that Sungmin's heart breaks all over again, and he pauses to collect himself behind the door so that Henry wouldn't see the tears he furiously blinks away.

"Of course, Henry," Sungmin replies quietly, brushing away the tears from the corner of his eyes with the back of his palm before stepping back into the room, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. Henry shimmies over on the bed, pushing the blankets back so that Sungmin has room to slide in under the covers. As soon as Sungmin lays down Henry latches on to him, sliding his arms around Sungmin's waist and clinging to him like he's afraid he'll disappear in the middle of the night. 

Sungmin rubs circles on Henry's back, murmuring soft reassurances in the boy's ear as he drifts back into a much more comfortable sleep. "I'll be here. Don't you worry, I'm not going anywhere...."

"Thank you," Henry says, repeating his words from the beach earlier, pulling Sungmin impossibly close and burying his face into his chest. "Thank you..." And he falls asleep with a smile on his face. 

“You shouldn’t be thanking me,” He whispers, resting his head against Henry’s and letting his own eyes slip shut as well, suddenly feeling the weight of his emotions on his eyelids, allowing himself to begin to drift into sleep. “You’re the one whose had to deal with this your whole life, if anything I should be thanking you, Henry, for being alive.”

His only answer is a small stir and tightening of hands on the back of his shirt, Henry remaining asleep. Sungmin smiles, and lets himself fall into slumber, sleep unstirred by dreams, smile remaining on his face throughout the night.

...

Ryeowook sighs as Jongwoon sits heavily on the bed, smiling gently as he sees the state of the room much messier than his own and Jongwoon hardly having to move the covers for him, covers already bunched to the end of the bed.

He all but falls into Jongwoon’s arms as the older man pats the spot beside him, too tired to care if he’s making him uncomfortable or not and wanting to just sleep with the comfort of Jongwoon beside him.

“Hey, it’ll be okay,” Jongwoon says softly as he pulls Ryeowook down next to him, seeing the other man still looking nervous and worried, knowing how worried he still is about Henry. “Sungmin will take care of him, I know how he is, he would never hurt Henry intentionally.”

“I know,” Ryeowook sighs back, leaning back against Jongwoon and letting his eyes slide closed, hoping that the other man isn’t in that much of a talkative mood, and hoping he’s right. “It’s just, I don’t want to have to see him that broken again. It’s not that I don’t trust Sungmin, or that I don’t believe Henry can take care of himself, it’s just hard when I’ve seen him fall apart before.”

"You really are mother-henning him to death, Ryeowook," Jongwoon murmurs as he pulls the blankets up over them both. "He'll be okay. He won't break anymore. He's still got you, and he's got Sungmin and he's even got me. You know, in the older brother-in-law sort of way," he jokes, breathy chuckle escaping his lips in victory as Ryeowook's lips tug upward in a smile. "Now let's get some rest. I don't know about you but I'm exhausted, and Sungmin and I have to go back out tomorrow afternoon."

Ryeowook hums his agreement as he rolls over, so that he and Jongwoon are chest to chest, and he sighs contently. "Comfy," he mumbles, pecking a chaste kiss to Jongwoon's lips and snuggling in ever closer. Jongwoon blushes (he's still not used to this) but he kisses back in the short moment and is really glad that Sungmin offered to take the couch tonight because the bed isn't that much bigger but it does have enough room for at least two people. 

Jongwoon wraps his arms around Ryeowook’s waist as the other man pulls away, burying his face in Jongwoon’s neck and humming contentedly, lips soft against the warm skin. They still tingle from Jongwoon’s lips on his, and it brings a tiny smile to his face, warmth blooming in his chest.

“Wake me up before you leave,” Ryeowook mumbles, slowly drifting off in the face of Jongwoon’s warmth next to him, sighing as the arms around his waist tighten, eyes slipping shut as the worry clears from his mind, wanting to hope that Jongwoon’s words are true. “I’ll cook you two something before you go.”

Jongwoon simply hums and curves protectively around Ryeowook, feeling the softness of his hair against his cheek and rubbing his thumbs in small circles over the other man’s hips, daring to slip his hands slightly under his shirt, smiling when Ryeowook hums happily against his neck, burrowing closer.

“Don’t worry about it, Ryeowook,” He says softly, wanting Ryeowook to have a full nights sleep for once, knowing that he won’t if he’s plagued with worry like he is now. It hurts him to see the other man like this, and he just wants him to realize that he doesn’t have to do everything himself, that he can rely on others, Jongwoon especially. “Just go to sleep.”

Ryeowook barely responds, tottering between the line of sleep and coherency, simply smiling, his thanks a bare whisper into Jongwoon’s shoulder.

Silence reigns through the house, nothing but dreamless sleeps reverberating throughout.

***

The next couple of weeks pass without incident, and the four of them settle easily into their quiet new lifestyle. Sungmin and Jongwoon get up early in the morning to head out to the ship, Henry heads out to the restaurant a couple of hours later, and Ryeowook stays at the cabin and holds the fort, usually doing the cleaning and cooking. He still fears going out into public, so he willingly fell into the role of housekeeper.

"You are _such_ a housewife," Henry teases one morning as Ryeowook goes around collecting clothes to wash (they had since had to buy more clothes, as Ryeowook quickly realized the dilemma of trying to do the laundry when they only had the clothes on their back). The smaller man sends Henry a wilting glare before rolling his eyes and continuing his chore.

"Yeah, yeah, Henry, laugh it up. When you have nothing to wear or go hungry for a week don't come crying to me," Ryeowook mock threatens, and Henry waves from the doorway as he's putting on his shoes. "Be careful on your way, alright? Don't talk to strangers!"

"I'll be on my way," Henry shouts over his shoulder, as Ryeowook disappears into one of the bedrooms. "I'll be safe, mother dearest!" 

"Yah!" Ryeowook shouts, poking his head out of the bedroom, and Henry just laughs. Ryeowook scoffs and shoos him. "Oh just go."

“I’m going, I’m going!” Henry calls back, closing the door behind him and making his way down the road, to the small restaurant, looking forward to a long day of washing dishes and running tables, sighing as he shrugs, it’s something that brings home some coin at least.

It’s an uneventful walk to town, steering clear of the ocean largely except for looking out for the ships, seeing a few on the edge of the horizon already, large nets anchored in the sea. He chuckles, wondering how Sungmin and Jongwoon took to so many new things, the large nets much bigger than they’d been used to.

A small blush covers his face at the thought of Sungmin, the other man having become a staple in his bed night after night, whispering comforting things in his ear when the nightmares wake him, arms tight around his waist and lips soft when they brush over his temple.

It’s all something of a shock to him still, that Sungmin would even want to _be_ with him in the first place, broken as he is, but he likes it, it’s the most comfortable he’s felt in a long time. A smile pulls at his lips as he reaches the restaurant, and he chuckles ruefully. He supposes they’ll have to actually talk about their new relationship eventually, but he doesn’t quite want to risk disrupting it yet.

“I wonder if that’s selfish of me,” He muses aloud, before nodding quickly at his employer and fetching his apron, not wanting to be reprimanded for tardiness, going to his station and lingering only a moment, shaking his head to clear it.

His employer has him out on the floor most of the morning, deciding to have him collect the dishes and do them all at one time in the close period between lunch and dinner instead of doing them as he went, so that way they could get more people seated. Henry really wishes he didn't have to -- at least with scrubbing the plates he has the opportunity to sit down -- but he doesn't complain. After all, he is getting paid. It's not at all the fact that Sungmin promised to drag Jongwoon by if they had time at the lunch hour. Henry smiles when he remembers this promise, bussing a table a little more vigorously than necessary. No, not at all.

Henry usually doesn't have to actually wait on the diners, as his job entails only clearing the tables and washing the dishes, leaving them in a spot out in the sun to dry faster and then taking them inside back to the chefs. However, it's when he's clearing off one of the tables near the bright window that he sees one of his coworkers -- an impatient waitress probably a couple years younger than him, at least -- getting frustrated with an older couple and a younger man, presumably their son. The younger man is apologetically conversing with waitress, and stumbling over his words, when Henry hears the older man say something. 

"Son, just forget it, we don't know enough of the language," the man says, and the waitress frowns. Henry is so startled from hearing someone speaking his native language that he nearly drops the stack of dishes he has balanced on his arm.

"No, Baba, I can get it, just give me a second," the younger man replies, before turning back the waitress. "Sorry, I... coffee? Three cups, to start," he stutters, grammar broken and accent thick. The waitress flicks her hair, scoffs and writes their order down on her pad, before making her way back to the kitchen. As she passes Henry, he scrambles to put the plates down and catch her by the crook of her arm. 

"Hey, Sunyoung, trade me? I can cover for you, I speak their language," he offers. She wrinkles her nose at the prospect of doing the dishes, but figures it would be easier than trying to deal with the foreigners and nods.

"Thanks," she says half-heartedly, pressing the pad into his hand and slipping the tray with all the dishes onto her arm. Henry takes a deep breath -- this _is_ his first time waiting on customers, after all -- before putting on a smile and heading over to the table.

"Sorry for the inconvenience," he says, and it takes him by surprise how much he missed actually conversing in his native language. It's like a comfort blanket. "I'd be happy to help you order your food."

The family looks surprised, the young man’s eyebrows raising in surprise at the fluid tones escaping from Henry’s lips, examining him closely for a moment before shaking his head eventually smiling brightly along with his parents, nodding his thanks.

“Thank you,” He says confidently, no longer barred by the language difference and repeating his order for Henry to write down, his mother and father speaking theirs as well. “It’s hard to find someone who speaks our language here, it’s nice to not be able to stutter for once, we’re grateful.”

“You’re new here then?” Henry lingers for a moment, not quite wanting to wire his brain back to another language just yet, the few good memories from his childhood surfacing again as he speaks the language of his homeland. “Don’t worry, it’s quite a nice place really, Sunyoung just has a bit of a short fuse.”

The man chuckles, his parents smiling kindly, and Henry smiles shyly before walking back to the kitchen, placing the order before going to relieve Sunyoung of the dishes, his waiting services not needed again until the bill is brought to the family of foreigners, and he indulges in humming his mother’s old lullaby while he works.

Time passes quickly and before he knows it he hears the tinkling of the entrance bell and familiar arguing, poking his head out to see Sungmin dragging Jongwoon in, the two arguing as they usually are. It brings a quick smile to his face and he dries his hands, seeing the foreign family nearly done with their food as well.

“We don’t have time for this, Min,” Jongwoon grumbles, reluctantly following Sungmin into the restaurant and giving Henry a hesitant wave, clearly in a foul mood. Henry reckons it’s being on a ship all day with the constant threat of falling into the water, and imagines his mood would be much the same. “There’s only a half hour left on break, at the most!”

“Oh hush,” Sungmin says back happily, eyes crinkling as he spots Henry and smile spreading across his face. “You’re just mad you can’t go see your fair Ryeona, let me have my time with Henry.”

Jongwoon snorts indignantly as Sungmin smiles brightly at Henry, who smiles back. _Just a minute_ , he mouths at Sungmin, throwing his towel over his shoulder as he quickly disappears into the back and snags the boxed meals he had bribed the owner's daughter into preparing (he promised that he would cover for her when she snuck out to meet an older man later on that evening). He shuffles back out to the main dining area where Sungmin and Jongwoon are waiting by the door. Henry stops at the foreign family's table, promising he'll return to come take their plates in just a moment.

"Working hard today, are we?" Henry says cheerfully, hearing their stomachs grumble loudly in unison as the smell from the boxed meals reach their noses. "Eat well, I'll be sure to thank Miss Minji on your behalf." 

"What about you, Henry? It hasn't been too busy, has it?" Sungmin says conversationally, ignoring Jongwoon's jibe of _We got the food now can we go we're going to be late_. 

Henry shakes his head. "Nah, not any more than usual. I got my first shot at waiting, though, and uh," Henry trails off as he notices the family he is playing translator for staring at him. "And I should probably get back to work. I've been helping this family, they speak my first language."

"Oh really?" Sungmin says, eyes sparkling and even Jongwoon's ears perk up. After hearing Henry's story, they both know that him having the opportunity to grasp on to something good from his past is probably one of the best things to help him move forward. "That's great! Well, don't let us keep you, we'll see you at the house, okay?" 

"If you want to hang around out front, I'll see you off, just as soon as I get these guys taken care of okay?" Henry says quickly, before Jongwoon can manage to drag Sungmin away quickly. Sungmin nods before Jongwoon can protest, and they slip out the door so as not to unnecessarily crowd the dining area.

Henry smiles widely, mood considerably brightened and humming on his way to the foreigner’s table, cheerfully taking their plates to the sink and washing them quickly, wanting to be done as quickly as possible so he doesn’t have Jongwoon dragging Sungmin off before he can say goodbye, finishing the dishes in record time.

“I’ll be back in a minute, I need to fetch more water,” He calls to Sunyoung, picking up the pail and making his way outside, sighing as he sees Jongwoon pulling Sungmin’s arm and Sungmin standing staunchly and pouting back. 

“Can you two go ten minutes without arguing with each other?” Henry asks, amusement coloring his tone as Sungmin looks over happily, smiling widely and Jongwoon’s face morphing in a pout, still muttering under his breath about being late.

“Probably not,” Jongwoon mutters, still looking put off and picking at his lunch looking at the sky and squinting at the sun. “But I’m being serious, we do need to leave right about now or we’ll be late, and I don’t fancy being fired for being late, I don’t think I have any more talents to get another job.”

“Well we certainly know you don’t have any talents,” Sungmin says teasingly, and Henry smiles a bit at their banter, Jongwoon’s scowl making him chuckle. “But fine, fine. We’ll see you at home then Henry?”

“Yeah,” Henry says cheerfully, swinging his pail and walking off in the direction of the well, waving behind him. “I’ll wait up for you, and I’m sure Ryeowook will have some food left over.”

“Wait, Henry,” Henry feels Sungmin’s hand on his wrist and turns, seeing the other man look to see that no one’s around before catching his lips in a sweet kiss, barely a second before he’s pulling back again, smiling warmly at Henry and rubbing his thumb gently over the inside of Henry’s wrist. “I’ll see you at home, okay?”

Henry flushes a light pink, not expecting that kind of farewell in public, but enjoying it nonetheless. "Yeah," he murmurs, deaf to Jongwoon's splutterings and not even attempting to reign in the smile that spreads like wildfire across his face. "See you soon." 

Sungmin grins and lets Jongwoon drag him along down the path toward the docks, remembering to shout his thanks for the food over his shoulder. Henry waves at them, still rather spacey from the kiss, before practically skipping off to the well at the edge of the property. He isn't even as paranoid about falling in the well today, he's so happy about seeing Sungmin.

He hums a happy little tune that he makes up as he goes on the way back up the hill to the restaurant, and is almost into the back door of the restaurant when he hears a voice calling "Excuse me!" from around the side. Henry blinks, wondering who on earth could be looking for him? The person shows themself, sliding out from the alley between the restaurant and the building next to it, revealing the younger foreign man.

"Oh!" Henry exclaims, easily shifing back into his mother tongue for the third time that day. "Hello! Sorry, I didn't mean to leave you hanging to pay for your check. Did Sunyoung treat you well?" 

The man looks a little nervous, biting his lip before he answers. "Er, yeah. But, well, I had tried to catch you before you took off but you looked rather occupied..." he trails off for a second and Henry realizes with a bit of horror that this man must have seen Sungmin kissing him, but he is cut off before he can even open his mouth to apologize. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation in the restaurant. Please don't think me terribly rude, I couldn't understand half of it anyway, but..." 

Henry waits for this man to keep going, fighting off the bright red blush that is creeping up his face, at the very least that this man doesn't seem disgusted that he saw two men kiss each other. He doesn't say anything, giving the man a chance to speak, as he is clearly searching for the right words. "You're Henry, right?" the man blurts, and Henry's head snaps up. 

A million things flash through his mind -- have they been caught? But it was only Ryeowook they are looking for, surely no one cares about an escaped slave, right? -- but his traitorous mouth utters, "Yes." 

The man's eyes start to shine, as if he's fighting back tears. "As in, the Henry who disappeared from the face of the earth over a decade ago? The one who used to play with his little sister on the rocking horse my father built and pester his older brother into playing hide and seek?"

Henry's jaw drops as he suddenly is hit with memories of his childhood, and he realizes that he knows this man. He seems to have been stretched upwards, and his features are more defined than he remembers, but he feels like the world has suddenly stopped spinning and he breathes, "Mimi..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A joyous reunion, but a downward spiral looms as secrets kept come back to haunt them.

Henry feels like the worlds turned upside down as his eyes fill with tears, throwing his arms around Zhou Mi and hugging him tightly, memories of his childhood flooding his mind, and he realizes he should have recognized Zhou Mi from his smile, unchanged even though it’s been a decade since he saw him last.

“We thought you were dead,” Zhou Mi whispers fiercely against his hair, voice breaking and clutching Henry like a life line and simply amazed that the boy before him is _alive_ , having spent so many years mourning his death and wondering what he could have done to save them. “When they found the rest of your family but not you, we thought the river carried you away. Henry, you’ve grown up so much, I didn’t even recognize you!”

Henry simply sobs harder, unable to form words and in complete disbelief, trying to calm himself down enough to speak, trying to smile as he realizes that this really is his friend talking to him.

“I’m alive, Mimi,” He says softly, looking at the other man’s face and seeing how much he’s grown, from a gangly and awkward child and into a man, hair grown and smile wide on his face. “I thought you were dead too, the people who took my family from me...and those people with you, was that Mama and Baba?” 

“And you’ve changed quite a bit too,” He says teasingly, heart fit to burst and so happy he doesn’t even know what to do with himself, wanting to run and chase down Sungmin to tell him this, to have him meet his oldest friend. “Where’s the awkward and quiet Mimi I used to play with?”

"It was, and God, Henry, we have to go see them! They had no idea it was you!" Zhou Mi exclaims, completely missing Henry's remark and holding him at arm's length to look him over. "I told them I wanted to thank you for helping us in the restaurant, I can't even imagine what they'll think..." 

Henry bites his lip, torn between being reunited with his second family and keeping his job. Almost as if someone senses his dilemma there's someone clearing their throat behind him. Henry spins around, and Zhou Mi looks up, to see a young girl leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. 

"Miss Minji," Henry blurts, "I'm sorry, I'll be right in, I--"

"Go," Minji says, nodding at Zhou Mi. Henry blinks confusedly, and Minji smiles. "I'm not deaf, you know, and you were blubbering pretty loud. Go on, I'll cover for you today." 

"But I was supposed to..." Henry starts, withering under the stern glare Minji gives him.

"Another night," she says simply, before smirking. "But now you owe me twice as much. So shoo, go with your friend! I think you have a lot of catching up to do," Minji finishes, the smirk turning to a kind smile. Henry grins, wiping the tears from his eyes and bowing deeply.

"Thank you so much, I really owe you big time!" Henry exclaims, allowing Zhou Mi to drag him back to where his parents were perusing at a stall selling trinkets.

“Mama, Baba!” Zhou Mi calls, holding Henry’s arm in a death grip and practically radiating sunshine, happiness exuding off his features. It’s familiar and warming, and Henry can’t help the large smile fixed on his features, wondering how he could be so lucky. “Look, it’s Henry, it’s really Henry!”

Zhou Mi’s parents jaws look ready to hit the ground when Zhou Mi presents Henry to them, scrutinizing him almost as if they don’t believe their son, and up close Henry realizes they haven’t changed much at all either, Mama Zhou’s kind eyes remaining exactly the same as he remembers them.

It’s when she bursts into tears and gathers him into her arms that he has to stop himself from crying again, truly feeling home and small again, over at Zhou Mi’s house for a play date again and his mother coddling him when he cries, cooing soft words in his ear.

"Oh, Henry," Baba Zhou breathes, his eyes wide and disbelieving as his wife proceeds to nearly squeeze the life out of the boy. "We thought... after seeing your parents and Clinton, the way they... we thought they'd chased you and your sister to the river or took you. What happened to you? Where is Whitney?" 

Mama Zhou relinquishes her hold as Henry shakes his head, looking up at his surrogate parents with teary eyes. "Not here. Come back to my home, I'll tell you everything there." Zhou Mi nods and motions for Henry to lead the way, Henry rubbing his eyes and trying not to attract too much attention. 

The conversation on the way back to the ocean side cabin is minimal, and Henry keeps it away from questions about the time between when they last saw him until now. He tells them random facts about the town that's he's picked up along the way, tidbits here and there, filling the silence until the cabin comes into view.

The door creaks open as they file through, Henry smiling sheepishly and ushering them in, glancing around, belatedly remembering that Ryeowook will surely be there, and sighs as he realizes he’ll have some explaining to do.

Ryeowook hears the door open and pokes his head out from where he was in the kitchen, humming to himself and doing the dishes from the night before and frowning when he sees Henry come through the door, his eyes red and a shy smile gracing his face that he usually only sees when the other man is around Sungmin, wondering what is going on when he sees an older couple and a tall man come through the door as well.

“Henry, what are you doing back?” He asks curiously, frowning and wondering what these strange people are doing in their home, wary as he usually is and hoping that Henry knows them quite well to have brought them back. “Don’t you still have work until tonight? Who are these people?”

"Ryeowook," Henry starts, his voice having a very distant quality that makes it sound as though he doesn't even believe this is really happening. "This is Zhou Mi, and his parents. My family's friends."

Ryeowook's mouth falls open, and the skillet that he had been scrubbing falls to the floor with a clatter. "Oh, oh my." He scrambles to collect himself, bringing himself into the room proper to bow before his elders. "It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm honored!" And he really is, but he's so glad he's bowing so deep that they cannot see his face because the look of utter surprise must not have been very welcoming.

"Mama, Baba, Mimi, this is Ryeowook. He... he saved me. I really do owe my life to him," Henry explains, his admiration and reverence for the older man shining in his expression. He turns back to the Zhou family, ushering them into the sitting room and offering them a seat. But Mama Zhou has other ideas, as she steps forward just as Ryeowook's righting himself and pulls him into a bone crushing hug.

"You saved him," she whispers tearily. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can never thank you enough."

Ryeowook stiffens in her hold at first, sending wide and pleading eyes at Henry, to the answer of _she’s thanking you, for saving my life_ , resigning himself to relaxing in her hold and patting her on the shoulder, shaking his head.

“You shouldn’t thank me,” He says softly, Henry translating back and forth as he speaks, extricating himself from the hug and smiling gently at the gathered group, running his hand through his over grown bangs out of nervous habit. “Henry has been through so much on his own, I’ve just done what I could for him when I’ve been able to.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Wook,” Henry chastises, frowning at his friend and knowing that he’s simply nervous, looking like he wants to bow a hundred more times and avoiding Zhou Mi’s scrutinizing eyes on him. “You gave me my life back, and I can never repay you for that.”

“Henry you said you would tell us what has happened to you,” Mama Zhou interrupts, eyebrows furrowing as she worried what could have happened to Henry since they saw him last, so small and full of life, though now his eyes seem almost shadowed. “Yes?” 

Henry takes a deep breath, sinking into one of the wicker chairs that had never been put away, allowing for the Zhous to take the couch as he begins to tell them his tale. He begins with Clinton, how he had left him and Whitney to fend for themselves with the only instruction to find the Zhous (Baba Zhou interjects a curse here, exclaiming that he should have done something to help. Zhou Mi rubs his shoulder comfortingly, telling him that he couldn't possibly have known). He tells them about Whitney, in the nicest way possible, though Mama Zhou still wails at the fact, Whitney being the closest person she ever had to a daughter. And he tells them about Han Geng the slave trader.

"You were taken into _slavery_?" Zhou Mi breathes, outraged on poor Henry's behalf. Even in their country, poor and cruel though it was, slavery was still a taboo that no one admitted to, even if it was well known that the aristocracy had slaves. Henry nods, eyes dark and very clearly saying that he did not want to be reliving this part of his life yet again.

"There are things that happen that I will never, ever repeat. People were bought and sold like cattle. The only reason I didn't have any 'masters' before Ryeowook found me was because I didn't fear them. They threatened to beat me, kill me," he says gravely, repeating it so even Ryeowook hears for the first time just how awful it was. "And I didn't care. It didn't matter to me whether I lived or died. I had no one left, anyway. But Ryeowook saved me from all that."

“That’s why I’ll always be in your debt,” He smiles brightly in Ryeowook’s direction and is sure that no matter how many times he thanks him, it will never be enough. He’s grateful from the bottom of his heart, and doesn’t think he’ll ever quite be able to do enough to repay him. “You gave me my life back, Wook, I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that.”

“I have to thank you as well,” Zhou Mi speaks up for the first time, nodding gravely at Ryeowook and eyes serious, respectfully speaking to him. “If it weren’t for your actions, Henry wouldn’t be here today, thank you for helping him when I could not.”

Ryeowook simply shakes his head, not used to having so much praise thrown in his direction and simply mumbles that he couldn’t have just left Henry there to die, the young boy needed help and if no one else was going to give it then he was going to make it his mission to do it himself.

“I’ll...go put some tea on,” He finishes nervously when silence begins to settle, the Zhous merely looking at Henry and Henry off in his own world, gazing into the open space to see something known only to him. “I’ll be back in a moment, excuse me.”

He shuffles back into the kitchen, looking around the cabinets for the freshest tea leaves he could find. He hears the low murmur of conversation pick back up out in the living room, not intelligible enough for him to understand it if he could understand it in the first place. He sends Donghae a silent thank you for having enough spare cups in the tea set to serve them all, even having enough left over for Sungmin and Jongwoon, if they were there.

A few minutes later, he returns to the living room to see Henry discussing something with the Zhous, their faces a mix of trying to persuade him of something and concern. Henry shakes his head and fervently denies, and catches Ryeowook's curious eye.

"They're trying to convince us to move in with them in their new home," Henry explains. "They've been saving up for a decade to get out of that country, ever since..." he trails off. Ryeowook doesn't need explaining. "But their new house is in the Capitol. That's where their contact established their new settlement."

Ryeowook nearly drops the tea he’s so taken by surprise, an irrational fear going through his mind for a moment at the mention of the capitol and the mere thought of Henry leaving him, eyes widening enough for Henry to frantically wave his hands at him, looking very worried.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going,” Henry says quickly, as if speaking to a child, and Ryeowook nearly snorts, though he admits it does calm his racing heart a bit, setting the tea down in front of everyone seated with slightly shaking hands. “After all we’ve been through, I’d never leave you, Ryeowook.”

“You can go if you want, Henry,” He says slowly, smiling at him with closed eyes, not wanting them to betray his true feelings and making sure Henry knows that he can do what he wants without having to worry about him. “I don’t own you anymore, if you want to go with them you can, God knows I’ve cause you enough trouble these years.”

“Ryeowook,” Henry reprimands, forgetting a moment about the Zhous and frowning at his friend, wishing he wouldn’t look so terribly insecure sometimes and wanting to simply get up and give him a hug. “You know I don’t think that way. And if not for you, then I’m certainly not leaving Sungmin.”

Baba Zhou clears his throat awkwardly, as if he understands Henry's adamant denials of his request. "Henry, I know you have your own life now, but won't you reconsider? You and your friend could come with us, I'm sure there's plenty of room."

"Please, Henry?" Zhou Mi pleads. "Even your friends we saw at the restaurant could come with us! It's been so long since we've seen you, we really missed you. We want to be in your life again!"

Henry shakes his head firmly. "I'm sorry, Mimi. But we can't. It's not that we wouldn't want to, but we had to leave the Capitol for a reason. Plus, Sungmin and Jongwoon make their living on the sea, we couldn't uproot them, especially after they've only just gotten used to it here."

Ryeowook bites his lip, hoping that he’s right in guessing Henry’s tone of continued denial and also hoping that it isn’t too selfish of him to want it as such, not sure if he’d be able to bear it if Henry left him now. 

“But Henry, are you sure this is what you want?” Zhou Mi says in a last ditch effort to convince him, not wanting to have to lose his friend again with the threat of never seeing him after he leaves him here, not after ten years. “Is that man I saw you with what keeps you here? They can come with us you know, surely what you left for is not so dire.”

“If my presence here is influencing your decision, I can go, Henry,” Ryeowook interjects weakly to Henry, smiling awkwardly and beginning to feel out of place in his own home, a language he can’t really understand filling it and options he doesn’t want to think about being set in front of him. “I need to put dinner on for Jongwoon and Sungmin anyway, they’ll be home soon.”

"No, stay," Henry says, tone laced with finality before turning back to the Zhous. "Believe me when I say, that if we _could_ go with you, we would be packed and ready to go in a heartbeat. But we had to get away, we had no choice. Going back there now, we would be willingly giving away any freedoms we have. We just can't." 

Mama Zhou looks like she's about to burst into tears again, and Ryeowook feels the guilt flooding his conscience. Baba Zhou looks disappointed, but understanding. "I see," Baba Zhou says finally. "It's unfortunate but I suppose it can't be helped."

Zhou Mi bites his lip, wanting to argue because he really doesn't want to lose his friend again, and Ryeowook catches his hesitance. "You are all always welcome here," Ryeowook pipes up, catching everyone's attention, and Henry smiles as he translates for them. "Any time you find yourselves in town here, there will always be food ready and a bed waiting. Any friend of Henry's is a friend of mine."

Ryeowook smiles gently as he says it, glad to have a place to call home officially, and thinks that this is really the only place in his entire life that he’s really felt as had the right to call a home. And he thinks that he would be perfectly okay if Zhou Mi and his family were to visit, especially if it gives Henry the same smile on his face that he’s wearing now.

“Tell them they can stay the night too, if they’d like,” He says at Henry, smiling towards the Zhous as Henry translates, looking gratefully at Ryeowook before he does. “It’s much too late to set out to the next town over, and I don’t want them to have to pay for lodging when we’ve held them up.”

Mama Zhou looks about ready to hug Ryeowook again as Henry retells his words, a smile stretching over her face that matches her son’s, thanking Ryeowook and seeming to accept Henry’s reluctance to come with them, resigning to being able to mother him while they stay in his home.

"Thank you," Zhou Mi says gratefully, still tired from the ship journey over and eager to catch up the last ten years with his childhood friend. "It's much appreciated." He still wishes Henry was able to join them in their journey to the Capitol but sometimes things just happen for a reason. 

Ryeowook waits until Henry finishes translating, before smiling. "All right then, I suppose I'll go start supper as we have a few more mouths to fee tonight. Oh, Henry, can you pull out the fresh blankets for them? We'll take the usual ones and lay them down out here to sleep tonight."

"Okay," Henry nods, waving off Zhou Mi and Baba Zhou's offer to help. Though he brushes Ryeowook's shoulder on his way down the hall and mutters, "Good luck keeping Mama Zhou out of the kitchen. It is her kingdom."

“Maybe in her own home,” Ryeowook mumbles fiercely, feeling strangely possessive for a moment. “But she’ll need an army to take over _my_ kitchen. I’ve been running this entire operation for over a month now!”

Mama Zhou turns in Ryeowook’s direction almost as if sensing her name and her eyes gleam happily, babbling cheerfully at Ryeowook though he understands not a word she’s saying and pushing him into the kitchen, Ryeowook looking pleadingly at Henry the entire way.

“Good luck with that!” Henry calls happily, simply smiling as Ryeowook sends him a withering glare, going off to prepare the bedrooms and hoping that Jongwoon and Sungmin aren’t too shell shocked at the arrival of so many new people for a night, knowing that this will no doubt cause some kind of calamity, knowing them. Zhou Mi simply hovers behind him as he works, seemingly unwilling to leave him alone for fear of Henry disappearing, a million questions still on the tip of his tongue.

"So Henry... when you were in slavery..." Zhou Mi starts carefully, not missing the way Henry tenses. "Ryeowook never..."

"Ryeowook never once treated me as anything other than a friend," Henry cuts him off softly, smoothing the fresh blanket over the bed and fluffing the pillow. "The Master, his uncle, on the other hand, is another story." Henry drops off into silence, and Zhou Mi knows better than to push the matter further. His main concern that Ryeowook ever mistreated him, unlikely though it was, is assuaged, so he decides to change the topic.

"I wish you could have been there when my parents found a dog on their farm," Zhou Mi says thoughtfully, leaning against the wall when Henry swats his attempt to help away. "He was so cute! She didn't have any signs of ownership so we ended up keeping her. I named her Niqiu."

“Oh?” Henry chuckles, because it’s so like Zhou Mi to be as excited as a child over a little dog, smile spreading across his face. He’d really missed his best friend, and the excitement that passes over his face as he talks to him just brings back so many memories, he can’t help but smile broadly back. “And was it fuzzy and fluffy and you made a mockery of it by dressing it in clothes?”

“Niqiu looked very cute in her dresses, I’ll have you know,” Zhou Mi grumbles, watching Henry set out the extra blankets and make the bed, falling into their old routine of teasing each other easily, not surprised at how much he’d missed it. “And what about you, Henry? What’s your story with that other boy? You looked like a little lost puppy after he left you earlier, is someone in puppy love?”

Henry blushes and stutters, for a moment, glaring at Zhou Mi and refusing to answer as he hunts down a pillow or two as well, wanting to make sure that the living room is at least bearable to sleep on for the night. 

He ignores Mimi's jibes for the rest of the evening, but getting caught up with his surrogate parents and good friend makes him feel lighter than he has in years, his side aching from laughter in the stories that Baba Zhou tells making Zhou Mi blush, and hearing Mama Zhou pipe in from the kitchen where she has made Ryeowook her guinea pig for her dishes (cooking requires little speaking, as body language is universal). It's the best feeling in the world, Henry thinks.

***

"Henry," Sungmin whispers tiredly, laying on his back on the floor in the darkened living room. "You have a weird sense of friends."

"What does that say about you?" Ryeowook chuckles quietly, laying somewhere else on the floor with his fingers interlaced with Jongwoon instead of curling up next to him. They had chosen to not be so intimate around Zhou Mi and his parents out of courtesy, even though Mama Zhou had cooed and pinched Henry's cheeks, exclaiming what an adorable couple he and Sungmin made.

“Hush you, you haven’t been working all day so I don’t wanna hear it,” Sungmin grumbles sleepily, exhausted from the day’s work and wanting nothing more than to sleep, the whirlwind of meeting Zhou Mi and his family having taken all the extra energy from him. “Henry, Ryeona is being mean to me again.”

Henry chuckles as Sungmin whines at him, simply smiling and poking him on the forehead gently, smiling wider as Sungmin only makes disapproving noises low in his throat, pouting at him. Jongwoon laughs as well, hearing Sungmin’s complaints and refuting with a few of his own to himself.

“Go to sleep then, I’m certainly not stopping you,” Ryeowook huffs, feeling slightly insulted and mumbling that if they feel that way then he just won’t cook tomorrow then, _then we’ll see how you feel about my usefulness and work_. Jongwoon just chuckles and squeezes his hand tighter. 

"He doesn't mean it, Ryeowook, he's just grumpy when he's tired," Jongwoon tries to appease, hearing Henry do the same for Sungmin somewhere else on the floor. "He is grateful for your amazing food and would probably bow down before you begging your apology if you were to stop cooking for him."

"Whatever," Ryeowook mumbles sleepily, already hearing the soft snores coming from Sungmin's direction, the fisherman already out cold and Henry following soon after, letting sleep over take them all. It's a relatively dreamless night that passes quickly, because it seems like only a second that Ryeowook stirs to see the light beginning to creep across the sky, casting streaks of pink across the indigo. 

What wakes him fully, though, is not the light but the sensation of his nose being tickled, and he sniffs the... is that hair? out of his face, sleepily trying to figure out what on earth happened. His tired confusion fades into a small smile, warmth blooming in his chest as he realizes that sometime over the course of the night Jongwoon migrated to his side, gripping him around the waist and snuggling into his neck.

He smiles sleepily as his hand moves up to stroke the hair at the nape of Jongwoon’s neck, repressing a small laugh at the happy humming noise against his neck in response, the arms around his waist tightening almost imperceptibly. Looking over his shoulder he can see Henry and Sungmin in much the same position, Henry’s hands fisted in Sungmin’s shirt like a lifeline, head buried in his chest.

Ryeowook doesn’t want to wake him, the older man always looking so peaceful when he sleeps, but doesn’t see any way around it as he doesn’t particularly want to be caught like this by the Zhous, and should really be getting up to make breakfast soon anyway.

“Jongwoon,” He whispers, cupping his face and leaning forward to steal a kiss from pursed lips, letting it linger until he feels some kind of response, Jongwoon’s mouth warm on his. He smiles at the sweet kiss, Jongwoon pulling him sleepily against him, humming gently. “You have to let me go, I need to go start breakfast.”

"Don't wanna," Jongwoon mutters, but relinquishes his hold anyway. Ryeowook chuckles, whispering something about Jongwoon loving food more than him as he hears his back crack from laying on such a stiff surface. He winces at a particularly painful crack, peeling himself off the floor and heading to the kitchen. He scratches his head, stretches and yawns as he reaches for the pantry with the skillet, before he realizes someone's already in the kitchen making breakfast. 

Mama Zhou chuckles at him, noticing his sleepy stupor fade away. "You cute," she chirps and Ryeowook flushes, realizing she must have seen them all cuddling on the floor. "Henry too. All cute. Hungry?" 

Ryeowook shakes his head -- honestly, he seldom eats in the morning anyway -- but tries to gesture that he can take over the cooking. "I can take that for you," he offers. Mama Zhou's possessiveness of the skillet is almost comical though, her eyes glistening.

"I cook. You wake others, then you all eat. No choice," she says definitely, and Ryeowook can't help but chuckle at the command. 

"Yes, ma'am," he says, obediently bowing before turning on his heel to go back to the living room to wake the living dead.

...

Henry thinks Mama Zhou may actually kill him as she hugs him outside the small house, tight enough to break ribs and cooing in his ear to take care of himself. He gets an equally teary goodbye from Zhou Mi, with the promise of keeping in touch, and a firm handshake from Baba Zhou, telling him he’s grown up well.

“Do you regret not deciding to go with them?” Sungmin asks him curiously as Mama Zhou takes her hugs of death to Ryeowook, the other man still looking terrified and directing his pleading gaze at Jongwoon this time around. He’d heard about the conversation from Ryeowook earlier in the morning, and just wanted to make sure Henry did what made him happy, ready to respect the decision as best he could if Henry wanted to go with his friend.

“Never,” Henry whispers back teasingly, feeling slightly bold and leaning forward for a bare moment until he’s level with Sungmin’s ear, smiling brightly. “I have you here, why would I want to go anywhere else?”

Sungmin feels his heart leap at the statement, Henry's affection for him solidifying more and more lately and it has his face heating up like a teenaged girl and yet, he can't find it in himself to care. He beams at Henry, even as the youngest of them all goes off to say his final goodbyes to the family, when he feels a clap on the shoulder.

"You _will_ take care of him, right?" Zhou Mi says slowly, seriously, and Sungmin can tell he has rehearsed this. "I trust you." Sungmin merely smiles, knowing that Zhou Mi means him no harm and only wants what's best for his friend, now that he knows Henry's been alive all this time.

"Of course," he reassures, offering his hand out with a kind smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

“Good,” Zhou Mi grins brightly, still talking a bit slowly but with a confident gleam in his eye, as if knowing his meaning will get across either way. “Because if I ever find out you’ve hurt him, I will come back here and kill you, that boy deserves happiness.”

Sungmin is slightly unnerved by the way that Zhou Mi can say such words with such a disturbingly bright smile on his face, but simply laughs it off, having had to endure much the same threat from Ryeowook already. He shakes Zhou Mi’s hand once and then he’s gone, off to give Henry one more hug before they’re on their way.

“Interesting bunch, aren’t they?” Jongwoon says amusedly behind him, having listened in apparently. Sungmin simply scoffs at him, wondering if the two of them really have any right to talk in this situation. “At least we have the day off, other wise we’d have missed this touching scene.”

"Yeah, thank goodness," Sungmin says with mock relief. "I get to be stuck here all day with Mother Ryeona and Prince Charming," he teases, grinning as Ryeowook tenses at the name and Jongwoon just shakes his head.

"Actually," Henry pipes in thoughtfully. "I was going to take you into town today and give you a proper tour, we haven't had the chance to since we got here. Jongwoon and Ryeowook, you guys are more than welcome to come, unless you have other things you'd prefer," he says, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Ryeowook chokes on air and Jongwoon completely misses the implication, frowning at Henry.

"You know Ryeowook doesn't want to go out into town yet," he defends, and Henry snorts at the _Oh my god just let me sink into the Earth forever_ look that crosses Ryeowook's face. "I don't mind staying here, the town will always be there, I can see it later."

“And I’m sure there’s other sights you will be seeing,” Henry continues chuckling, Ryeowook looking about ready to punch him as Jongwoon blinks confusedly, wondering what exactly he missed and feeling quite out of the loop. “Don’t worry Jongwoon, I’m sure you’ll be able to enjoy yourself.”

“Maybe you should have gone with them,” Ryeowook huffs, walking back in the house and glaring disdainfully at Henry behind him before closing the door. “Sometimes I wonder why I even keep you around, Henry.”

“Am I going to have to deal with the repercussions of what you’ve just done all day?” Jongwoon whines, having been looking forward to a lazy day of just sleeping, hopefully with another warm body curled against him. “Though I’m not entirely sure what just happened to be honest with you.”

"Just forget about it," Ryeowook mumbles, bending over to pick up the blankets off the floor and put them in the laundry basket. "It's nothing, just Henry being his usually bratty self." 

Jongwoon frowns thoughtfully, obviously it's not nothing as Ryeowook seems really embarrassed by the whole exchange, and so before Ryeowook can busy himself in his chores and block out the world, he catches him by the arm and pulls him into his chest.

"Are you really going to spend the whole day cleaning? This is the only day off that I'll have for a while, I think, and I'm pretty sure you've earned one too. Come sleep with me," he whines, pressing a light kiss on Ryeowook's lips, not realizing the suggestion he had just made and making Ryeowook heat up like a pepper. "Blankets aren't as warm as you."

Ryeowook bites his lip in embarrassment, face heating up more at Jongwoon’s continued remarks and his mind takes them in the absolute worst way possible, heading into dangerous territory as his face turns steadily redder. He imagines the things that Jongwoon’s implying and swallows hard, imagination running away from him.

“But if I don’t do it, then no one will,” He says reluctantly, resolve wearing down as Jongwoon leans his head down to nuzzle into Ryeowook’s neck, chipping away at his resistance as Ryeowook gives in to his hold. “We can’t be living in a sty all the time, Jongwoon.”

“I don’t care,” Jongwoon whines petulantly, pulling at Ryeowook until they land on the couch, Ryeowook landing on top of his chest with an ‘oof’ as Jongwoon’s arms come around his waist. “I just want to be with you today, Sungmin and Henry can deal with a slightly less clean house.”

Ryeowook's mouth opens and closes much like a fish as he tries for a response, but he knows he has none, and he looks down to meet Jongwoon's eyes, flushing impossibly harder (is it even _possible_ to flush harder than he already is?) when he sees the man staring at him, his eyes filled with something akin to wonder and something else. "What? You're staring. Is there something on my face?" he mutters. 

Jongwoon shakes his head slightly, eyes never leaving Ryeowook's. "No, just... you're really beautiful like this," he breathes, as if he is realizing it for the first time. Ryeowook instantly breaks his gaze, looking at anything but Jongwoon and willing the blood coursing through his veins not to go to his face. Or somewhere else.

"I..." Ryeowook stutters. "Geez, you're really corny..." Jongwoon doesn't admit or deny it, but just pulls Ryeowook down so that their noses touch. Now it's hard for Ryeowook to not meet Jongwoon's gaze and when he does, Jongwoon smiles softly and tilts his chin up to kiss him.

It’s different than their other kisses, stretching out longer when Ryeowook thinks it will end, and he decides to test his boundaries, pressing his lips harder against Jongwoon’s, deepening it and feeling the other man hum in response, the hands around his waist slipping under the edge of his shirt, stroking softly along his spine and making him shiver.

He’s near breathless when he pulls away, Jongwoon smiling brightly beneath him and giving him short pecks, his forehead, the apples of his cheeks, and finally his lips again. Ryeowook can’t help but laugh breathily, leaning his forehead against Jongwoon’s for a moment and wondering what exactly has brought about this sudden change in him, though he can’t resist the smile it beings to his face.

“What’s gotten into you today?” He murmurs, nearly purring against Jongwoon’s lips, smiling gently before pushing his hands back on the other man’s chest, getting a slightly sheepish smile in return. “Not that I’m complaining of course.”

"Is it wrong that I just want to take advantage of the time we have together today?" Jongwoon asks, rubbing his calloused hands up and down the base of Ryeowook's spine and reveling in the smaller man's warmth. "I can't even explain it, I just feel like I _want_ you, all of you, and it makes me want to kiss you."

"Oh?" Ryeowook questions, raising a curious eyebrow as Jongwoon continues to rub his back. He can't help the images that flood his brain of Jongwoon _having_ him and he flushes, wondering when he ever became a prude. " _Want_ me, huh?"

It's Jongwoon's turn to flush now and he stutters incoherently. "Well I mean, I told you about those dreams I had before _this_ happened, right?" He gestures his arms to show that he was referring to them as a couple. "In the dreams we did this, but then we did more and I don't know, it just felt so right that even though I thought for sure I was going to hell for thinking that, even subconsciously, I couldn't help but like it."

Ryeowook has to hold back a laugh as the blush passes over Jongwoon’s face, indulging in kissing those red cheeks, barely sparing a moment to wonder which one of the is supposed to be the elder, chuckling a bit to himself as he thinks _so much for going slow_ , trailing kisses until he reaches Jongwoon’s ear, breathing into it as he speaks and feeling the man shiver beneath him.

“Would you like to make those dreams reality?” He whispers playfully as Jongwoon’s hands fan across his back, rough and warm, breath hitching and eyes wide as saucers, though not looking at all against the idea. “Because you can have me if you’d like, Jongwoon.”

Jongwoon’s face flushes scarlet as Ryeowook’s breath tickles his ear, squirming lightly under the other man and trying to process what he just said to him, having revealed more than he thought he would previously and starting to think that may not have been such a bad idea, Ryeowook pressing back into his touch.

"I... I think I'd like that very much," Jongwoon breathes, and Ryeowook smiles before meeting Jongwoon's lips in yet another kiss. Jongwoon, for someone who has never done this before, matches the kiss with equal fervor, and his hands slide further up the back of Ryeowook's shirt. 

Jongwoon feels his blood pounding in his veins and he wonders why he had never done this before. The feelings he gets kissing Ryeowook are absolutely electrifying, and it sends a tingling clear down to the tips of his fingers and toes. Ryeowook slides his hands down to Jongwoon's waist, trying to steady himself, before daring to slip his hands beneath the fabric of Jongwoon's shirt, snaking his hands up the bare chest. 

It takes Ryeowook a bit of consideration, worrying that he would scare Jongwoon off by moving too quickly (though it's rather obvious that the older man wants this just as much as he does) before he dares to run his tongue along Jongwoon's bottom lip, prodding and curious. Jongwoon's jaw drops in a quiet shudder and Ryeowook takes the opportunity to slide his tongue in, guiding Jongwoon's along.

Ryeowook lets his eyes slide shut as he kisses Jongwoon, mapping out all the corners of his mouth leisurely while Jongwoon kisses back with equal fervor, teeth catching and worrying Ryeowook’s bottom lip, causing a moan of surprise to slip out as fingers wander over his rib cage.

Jongwoon thinks he may really be in heaven as Ryeowook’s tongue sweeps through his mouth, nearly jumping in surprise when he hears the moan escape Ryeowook’s mouth, the small sound breaking through something in him and has him kissing back even harder, shuddering as Ryeowook keens against his lips, hips beginning to grow slightly restless.

“Ryeowook,” He murmurs softly, feeling the younger man’s hands glide over his stomach, repressing a shiver and catching Ryeowook’s lips with his again, sliding slick over each other and feeling his heart pound like it’s going to burst from his chest, eyes staring down at him half mast with some indiscernible emotion in them.

Ryeowook doesn't reply with words, but instead pushes himself up gently, nails digging only slightly into Jongwoon's stomach with the pressure, and with lust clouding his gaze, he meets Jongwoon's questioning gaze straight on, smirking as he rolls his hips experimentally against the older man's. Jongwoon moans low in his throat, pleasure shooting through his veins as his blood rushes southward.

"Oh Luzo, Ryeowook," he gasps, hands nearly falling limp to his sides before he grabs Ryeowook by the hips and trying to buck his own up to meet them. "Please, just. Do that again." Ryeowook pushes his weight down, holding Jongwoon still even though the man whines to be let go. 

"We have all day, Jongwoon," Ryeowook says softly, taking the hem of Jongwoon's shirt and pulling it up so that it reveals the expanse of skin, tugging at it so as to gesture Jongwoon to sit up so that he can pull it off. "There's no need to rush."

“All day with you?” Jongwoon murmurs, Ryeowook sliding forward on his lap as he sits up so Ryeowook can pull his shirt over his head and toss it to some corner of the room, securing his hands back on Ryeowook’s hips and slowly rolling his own against them, shivering and relishing in Ryeowook’s gasp, leaning forward to kiss his jaw as Ryeowook tilts his head back. “I don’t think I’d mind that at all.”

Ryeowook hums low in his throat, gazing appreciatively down at Jongwoon’s body, sliding a finger down his chest and sliding up close against him, feeling Jongwoon’s body heat mingle deliciously with his own. 

Jongwoon catches his lips again, kissing him fiercely and Ryeowook can’t help but shudder when he feels hands dip teasingly below the line of his pants under his hips, tracing circles on his thighs and fogging his mind completely.

“Bedroom?” He gasps against Jongwoon’s lips, the other man’s hips continuously rolling against his own, and he feels the unbearable heat begin to pool beneath his belt, wrapping his arms around Jongwoon’s shoulders and speaking against his lips, brushing against them hot and warm. 

Jongwoon nods, a tad desperately, and Ryeowook slides off his lap and takes him by both of his wrists, pulling him off the sofa and in the direction of the bedroom. Jongwoon's forgotten shirt gets tangled up around his legs and he nearly trips but Ryeowook catches him, righting him, and Jongwoon grins sheepishly before catching his lips in a kiss, murmuring 'thank you' against his lips. Ryeowook hums in response, fingers grappling for the door knob as he refuses to pull away from Jongwoon, finally managing to get the door open. 

They have barely shut the door all the way before their kiss intensifies yet again, Jongwoon realizing how much Ryeowook's shirt is in the way and happily pulls it up to rid the younger man of it. Ryeowook reluctantly pulls away long enough for Jongwoon to pull it over his head and discard it somewhere on the floor before pushing Ryeowook to the bed, completely lost in his desire and not caring about anything else.

Ryeowook moans deliciously into their kiss when Jongwoon's fingers trace a line from his abdomen all the way up to his collarbone, gently massaging the prominent bone. He wraps his arms around Jongwoon's neck, pulling him impossibly closer and opening his mouth so that their tongues can reunite and his mind is clouded with pleasure and--

"Hey, Ryeowook, I forgot my money! I gave it to you to hang on to, where did you pu-- Oh my god!" Henry cries, having come into the bedroom without knocking and quickly clapping both hands over his eyes.

Ryeowook almost falls completely backwards, stunned by Henry’s voice and is sure he would be face first on the floor if not for Jongwoon’s arms still very much attached to him, unrelenting even as he stares at Henry with eyes as wide as saucers.

“Oh my Lord, Henry now is _not_ the time,” Ryeowook barks, face red as a tomato as he sees Henry peeking through his fingers to stare at them in horror, both of them still flushed and breathless and attached to each other, Jongwoon looking terrified while Ryeowook simply looks furious. “Have you ever heard of knocking?”

“Well how was I supposed to know you’d take my teasing literally!” Henry wails, running to where he sees a small sack of coins on the floor and then fleeing from the room, sending a glare at Ryeowook and nearly tripping over his shirt on the way out. “My poor virgin eyes!”

“Just because you’re being a pure virgin doesn’t mean the rest of us have to be!” Ryeowook calls after him, pouting as he hears the front door slam and burying his face in Jongwoon’s chest in embarrassment, the other man seemingly still frozen and mood slightly broken.

"Well," Jongwoon whispers, mortified. "That was awkward." Ryeowook merely groans and he would have smacked his forehead if it wasn't already hiding in Jongwoon's chest. "Maybe we should just, you know..." He trails off and Ryeowook doesn't think he has the heart to look at the surely put-out look on Jongwoon's face.

"We should sleep," he agrees, regretfully pulling back and indeed, Jongwoon looks disappointed and extremely embarrassed at being caught in such a compromising situation. He crawls down off of Jongwoon's lap, stretching out on the bed beside him, and pulls Jongwoon to lay down. Jongwoon pulls the blanket over them and lays out flat on his back, stiff as a board. Ryeowook frowns, propping himself up on his elbow. 

"Hey," he says, and Jongwoon turns his head to catch Ryeowook's eyes. Ryeowook pecks Jongwoon on the lips, making the man flush a brilliant shade of scarlet, even after all that, and Ryeowook smiles gently. "Just because we aren't fooling around anymore doesn't mean you're allowed to get out of cuddling. Get over here."

Jongwoon crushes down the still raging tide of embarrassment to turn and look at the man sitting up beside him, Ryeowook smiling down at him gently and seeming to push himself towards him expectantly, chuckling when Jongwoon finally gets the picture and reaches out to grab his waist, pulling him flush against him.

“That’s better,” Ryeowook whispers, burying his face in Jongwoon’s neck and inhaling deeply, lust slowly fading as Jongwoon draws circles on his back, not to arouse but to calm, his muscles slowly relaxing and pulling him towards drowsiness. “And I hope you know that your next day off, we are _locking_ Henry out of the house.”

Jongwoon laughs lightly at Ryeowook’s grumbling, the other man’s warmth beside him bringing him back down to Earth and reminding him of his earlier tiredness, gripping Ryeowook tighter and smiling at his as the younger man looks up. He raises a hand to his face kisses him sweetly, trying to put all his feelings into a simple brush of lips.

"Sounds like a plan," he whispers, smiling at Ryeowook as he settles back down in the bed, closing his eyes and letting the quiet comfort of having the smaller man tucked into his side lull him to sleep, despite the sunlight peeking in from the window.

...

As winter approaches, the autumn air brings with it huge gusts of wind and torrential downpours, wicked storms brewing in a matter of minutes and striking without warning. Sungmin has mentioned that it makes him worry about the wrath of Luzo on occasion even still, though Ryeowook and Henry assure them that this kind of weather is typical for this time of year.

"It's monsoon season," Henry says comfortingly when Sungmin flinches at a particularly loud crack of thunder. "The rain is pretty frequent."

The storms do not keep the ships from going out to sea, however, quite the contrary -- some of the best fish can be caught in the rough waters, according to Youngwoon.

It’s how Jongwoon and Sungmin find themselves stumbling back home at ungodly hours of the morning, soaked to the bone like drowned river rats, shivering and drenched. Ryeowook mother hens the both of them each time, finding warm towels for them to wrap themselves in, taking to leaving fresh clothes lying out for them already.

Henry finds that he suddenly doesn’t like this season much either, Sungmin curling into his bed late at night and frozen as a block of ice, whining and pulling Henry against him, cuddling into his warmth and soaking it up. As much as Henry loves seeing Sungmin smile serenely as warmth creeps back into him, he could do without the freezing temperatures that he brings with him. Ryeowook agrees when he mentions it jokingly to him, complaining that Jongwoon clings to him even more in the night now, kicking him with cold feet.

It’s when he comes home early one night with Jongwoon arguing behind him that makes Henry worry, not because of their constant bickering, but the way Sungmin shivers and coughs, looking even more chilled than normal under the seeming constant torrent of rain.

"Damn it, Sungmin, I wish you would listen to me for once! Your chivalry will be the death of you!" Jongwoon growls, stripping his soaking outer cloak off and hanging it by the door and making Sungmin sit down in the doorway so he can help him out of his drenched clothes. Henry pokes his head in from the kitchen, where he'd been helping Ryeowook with dinner, surprised to see them because he isn't expecting them so soon.

"You guys are early!" he chirps happily, but his smile fading into concern at the state Sungmin is in. "What happened?"

Sungmin opens his mouth to say something but Jongwoon cuts him off sternly. "One of the fishermen fell overboard," he states, his anger at his friend only because he's so worried about him. "And Sungmin jumped in after him when we didn't see him surface." 

"I wasn't about to stand there and let him drown," Sungmin protests hoarsely, his voice quiet and strained. Henry makes a strangled noise, flashbacks to that day on the beach hitting him tenfold, and he hurries into the bedroom to get Sungmin his dry clothes.

“But there are other ways of doing this, Min,” Jongwoon says angrily, forehead creasing with worry as Sungmin’s body is wracked with shivers, hating his friend’s sense of justice more with each passing minute. “You _know_ the water is freezing this time of year, we could have thrown a rope down to him!”

“That wouldn’t help very much if he’d drowned already, Jongwoon!” Sungmin retorts, frowning fiercely at Jongwoon and suppressing another cough, looking around to make sure Henry isn’t back yet. “And stop making this such a big deal, you’re scaring Henry.”

“I’ll make it a big deal if I damn well please,” Jongwoon scoffs, nearly wanting to strangle Sungmin and his insistence of taking care of everyone in the world before himself, wishing he would just look at his own health for once. He feels the anger boiling inside him and just wishes he had Ryeowook with him, suddenly needing a calming presence. “You could have drowned with him, Sungmin, or who knows what you have now, you’ve been shaking for an hour now!”

"I'm always shaking when we get out of the rain," Sungmin snaps, swallowing thickly as he feels the itch of a cough building in his throat. Henry reappears from the bedroom, Sungmin and Jongwoon's clothes and a blanket in his arms and looking as if he's about to have an aneurism. 

"Sungmin, what did I tell you about the ocean?" Henry scolds, his face full of nothing but fear and worry as Sungmin pulls the dry shirt over his head. It concerns him a lot when Sungmin's shivers get worse instead of better, the contrasting warmth of the clothes against his dry skin setting him atremble. 

"What's going on out here?" Ryeowook asks, coming in from the kitchen with a wooden spoon in his hand and his arms crossed over his chest. "I swear, you two, you can't ever come home with smiles on your faces, can you?" he sighs. Jongwoon frowns unhappily.

"I think I'm entitled to argue tonight, considering Sungmin is such a martyr he might as well be suicidal," he grumbles, watching Ryeowook's exasperation turn to shock and concern as well.

“What happened?” He asks worriedly, noticing Sungmin’s shaking with a frown, Jongwoon’s explanation only deepening it, studying Sungmin closely and hoping he’s wrong in his guess. “From what I can guess it’s a cold, but we’ll have to make sure he doesn’t catch hypothermia with the way he’s shaking now, and hope it doesn’t get any worse.”

He sighs as he sees Henry’s eyes widen impossibly, breath seeming to catch in his throat and bites his lip, knowing how easily Henry can crack at the slightest threat to those close to him.

“Keep him warm in the mean time, Jongwoon, will you come make some tea with me?” He asks, trying to give Henry and Sungmin some time alone while he gathers what medicinal herbs they have lying around, and some herbal tea to help warm Sungmin hopefully. Jongwoon grudgingly agrees and Ryeowook, sighs, seeing the deep concern buried under the anger in those eyes, catching the other man’s wrist in his hand gently and pulling him into the kitchen.

Henry busies himself in grabbing a blanket from the couch and wrapping it tightly around Sungmin, worried at how cold his skin is to the touch and trying to keep the panic from his voice when he talks, attempting to be rational when Sungmin notices his obvious distress and pulls him down sluggishly next to him.

"I'll be okay, Henry," he rasps, voice already nearly gone, his eyes closing as he leans his head against Henry's shoulder. "It's just a cold, I'll be fine." He rubs Henry's knee in an attempt to be comforting, but all it does is make Henry feel worse because it should be the other way around, _he_ should be comforting _Sungmin_.

"You certainly like scaring the life out of me, don't you," he mumbles, gathering Sungmin into his arms and loaning him what warmth he can. He rubs Sungmin's arms, trying to warm them and trying to help the shaking slow down, if not stop. Henry can't help but feel the worried tears burn the back of his eyes, and he blinks them furiously away.

Ryeowook and Jongwoon return with tea not five minutes later, but Sungmin is out cold in Henry's embrace. Ryeowook's gaze softens as he turns to Henry, whose eyes are pleading and desperate.

"Sorry, Henry, you're going to have to wake him. He needs to drink this before he settles in for the night, or else he could catch the flu. I know you want to let him sleep," he continues, seeing Henry's mouth open in protest, "but you don't want him getting worse, do you? He can rest once he finishes."

Henry nods reluctantly and shakes Sungmin as gently as he can while still being able to wake him up, the man nearly out cold, literally, in his arms, stirring only slightly at Henry’s light prodding.

“Min, wake up,” He says, slightly pleadingly and feeling the desperate tone return, trying to be strong as he runs his hands through Sungmin’s still damp hair, smoothing it away from his forehead and pulling him up right in his arms, taking the warm tea from Ryeowook and letting the steam brush over Sungmin’s face. “You can sleep soon, you just need to drink this first. Ryeowook says it will make you feel better.”

“Want to sleep,” Sungmin murmurs childishly at Henry, mind feeling dragged down by lead and barely able to keep his eyes open, moving his arms slowly to grasp at the warm mug, taking small sips and letting the warming liquid surge through him, restoring his voice slightly but doing little for the tiredness in his bones. He frowns as he sees Henry’s eyes shining at him, worried look creasing his features as he reaches over to brush Henry’s cheek with his thumb, trying for a smile. “And stop worrying, I promised I’d never leave you, didn’t I?”

"That doesn't mean you can go and do stupid stunts to scare me witless," Henry scolds, stroking the bangs out of Sungmin's face. "You're going to regret this in the morning, you know."

"Never," Sungmin breathes, taking the last swig of his tea and handing the mug off to Ryeowook. "I'll never regret seeing that man going to hug his wife and children when they greeted him at the dock. Even if I can't move tomorrow." 

That shuts them all up, touched by Sungmin's humility, though Jongwoon still looks entirely unhappy at his friend's rashness. "Well, I'm glad that he survive too," Jongwoon says lowly. "But next time please try not to make he have to consider what kind of coffin I would need to get you. Even if it was only for a moment. And don't you even try getting up for work tomorrow," he continues, glaring at Sungmin. "I'm telling Youngwoon that you're ill and need a few days to recover."

"But he already sent us back early," Sungmin whines, knowing that he will probably lose this battle but still attempting to fight it anyway. "We can't afford to lose a few days of pay."

“I’ll just work double in your place,” Jongwoon says fiercely, determined that his friend is not going to be working for at least a few days if he has his way, seeing Henry look at him gratefully. “You aren’t going to be leaving the bed for the next day or two at the very least, I’d imagine.”

“But,” Sungmin interjects weakly, really not wanting to have to forego work for so long when they desperately need the coin he and Jongwoon bring home, Henry not bringing quite as much as they do on a regular basis.

“No buts, Min,” Henry says firmly, helping Sungmin stand and letting him lean against him, the other man’s strength nearly spent and eyes beginning to droop close again, against his own volition. “Just let me take care of you for a bit, okay? You’ll be better in no time at all.”

Sungmin simply sighs and gives in to Henry’s hold, leaning heavily against him and mumbling fruitlessly, suddenly feeling very lightheaded, the room spinning slightly for a moment, having to stop he and Henry’s progress across the room to blink slowly, not even registering the sudden panic in Henry’s face. 

"Yes, you'll totally be well enough for work tomorrow," Jongwoon mutters from across the room, Henry shooting him a dangerous glare, telling him to just _shut up and stop heckling him already, you've made your point_ before turning  back to Sungmin just as the other one's knees give out and he crumples in Henry's arms, eyes rolling into the back of his head.

"Sungmin!" Henry cries out, arms tightening around the older man to keep him from falling to the floor, and Jongwoon and Ryeowook rush over to help him. Now Henry looks on the verge of a mental breakdown, shaking Sungmin in an attempt to wake him up. 

Ryeowook presses a palm to Sungmin's forehead, wincing as he pulls it away. "He's already got a fever... Come on, let's get him into bed. Henry, I don't want you sharing the bed with him, you could get sick too. I'll set the blankets up on the couch for you tonight."

"I'm not leaving him," Henry says firmly. "Absolutely not. I'll sleep on the floor if I have to, but I'm not leaving him alone."

“Henry, you can’t sleep on the floor,” Ryeowook argues, trying to talk sense into him as Henry fusses over Sungmin in his arms, beginning to mutter himself in his home language, seemingly in an attempt to keep himself from having a panic attack. “You’ll risk catching cold yourself!”

“Then I’ll bring in a chair and sit next to the bed,” Henry says fiercely, switching languages easily and nearly beginning to mix them together, speech only half understandable. He hefts Sungmin up and begins to carry him to their room, worry etching itself on his features. “I’m not leaving him alone, Ryeowook, and that is final.”

Ryeowook simply sighs, turning to Jongwoon and asking him to get one of the chairs in the living room for Henry, and that’s the last Henry hears ad he enters he and Sungmin’s dark room, gently setting Sungmin on the bed and wiping the bangs away from his forehead again, startled to feel him burning up, hair now soaked in sweat.

“Min,” He whispers, taking hold of the other man’s hand and bringing it to his lips for merely a moment, squeezing tightly before setting it back down, running off to find a cool cloth to be able to set on the other man’s forehead. “Please be okay.”

...

Over the next four days, Sungmin doesn't get any better. Ryeowook practically has to shove Jongwoon and Henry out the door to work in the morning, promising he'll take care of Sungmin while they're away, Henry progressively panicking each day he comes home and Sungmin isn't improving at all. Ryeowook tries a multitude of things to try and treat Sungmin -- herbal teas, a hot bath, steaming hot chicken broth -- but nothing seems to work.

To make matters worse, Sungmin's fever won't go down, resulting in increasing delirium on the fisherman's part. 

"Henliiiiii," Sungmin sings on the fifth day, slurring his words and sitting up against the pillows as Henry tries to spoon-feed him some soup, having realized the first day at breakfast that Sungmin was too weak to even feed himself. "Henli, you have two heads! You look funny." 

Henry's forever-worried expression only deepens, setting the spoon in the bowl and holding up two fingers in front of Sungmin's face. "Sungmin, how many fingers do you see?"

Sungmin squints and counts them aloud. "One, seven, three, nine, five!" he says almost victorious. "Five fingers!"

“Min, there’s only two,” He says worriedly, trying not to get up and run for Ryeowook to tell him something is seriously wrong here, worry only increasing by the moment. “Please just let me feed you your soup so you can get better.”

Sungmin simply turns his nose up, shaking his head adamantly before coughing violently, looking and Henry with one of the most pitiful expressions on his face, lip trembling slightly and whining at the other man.

“Henli why don’t you speak those pretty words again?” He says happily after the coughs subside, suddenly finding something else to hold his interest through the feverish haze, smiling brightly at Henry and finding one of the other man’s hands on the bed, playing with his fingers. “I like listening to your voice.”

Henry’s eyebrows crease, but he agrees nonetheless, singing his mother’s lullaby softly and watching as Sungmin’s eyes begin to droop again, not having stayed awake for long periods of time in the past few days, murmuring happily at Henry before falling out of consciousness.

“Ryeowook!” Henry calls once he leaves the room, reluctantly, as if afraid Sungmin won’t be there anymore if he leaves his side for even a moment. He finds Ryeowook in the kitchen, holding Jongwoon’s head against his shoulder and talking softly to him, turning when Henry comes in and looking impossibly tired. “Something is seriously wrong with Sungmin, there is no way this is a simple cold.”

"I know," Ryeowook says solemnly, Jongwoon lifting his head and looking at Henry worriedly. Clearly Ryeowook has shared his thoughts with Jongwoon and the oldest man of them does not like it one bit. "Henry, I know. I hadn't said anything because I didn't want to worry you until I was absolutely sure, but... I think he has pneumonia. I listened to his coughing while you and Jongwoon were out working today and it sounds like he's got water in his lungs."

Henry nearly falls to his knees on the spot, his heart pounding in his throat and his eyes burning with the familiar sensation of tears. "Wha... How do we cure that? He can't just wait out pneumonia. That's not something that just goes away like the common cold!" 

Ryeowook shakes his head. "No, it does. He needs medicine, probably penicillin, but the chemist won't just give any away without seeing the patient. Sungmin is in no condition to go see him and we can't afford to have some stranger make a house call." 

"So are you saying we're just going to sit and do _nothing_?" Henry yells, before wincing at hearing Sungmin whine from the bedroom about how noisy it is. "Ryeowook, _do_ something, please, we can't leave him like that."

“I know, I know,” Ryeowook says, exhaustion coloring his voice and leaning against Jongwoon next to him, the other man’s arms coming around him and holding his head in one of his hands. “I’ll...go pick some up tomorrow, I’m sure if the chemist hears all of his symptoms and general condition, he’d be willing to give me some.”

Henry’s eyes widen as Ryeowook explains his plan, mouth opening with any number of questions, Ryeowook waving them off before he can speak them.

“Youngwoon’s given Jongwoon the day off, so he’ll be able to watch out for Sungmin,” Ryeowook says, nodding at Jongwoon and frowning slightly before continuing, sighing deeply. “And since I’m the only one who will probably be able to get Sungmin what he needs, there’s no debate on who will be getting his medicine. It’s been nearly three months since I left, and I’ll only be out for a bit, we can only hope I won’t be recognized.”

Henry could nearly cry he’s so grateful to Ryeowook, knowing how much it means that the other man is actually willing to risk getting caught for Sungmin’s wellbeing, hoping that once the medicine is in their hands that Sungmin will get better quickly, his heart having been teared apart these past few days as he watches him get sicker and sicker.

So he runs over and gives Ryeowook the biggest hug he can muster, muttering his thanks over and over into Ryeowook's chest as he squeezes the life out of him. Ryeowook chuckles quietly, even Jongwoon smiling tiredly down at the youngest boy, before he detaches himself and scurries back to resume his beside vigil over Sungmin. Once Henry is gone from the room, Ryeowook sighs worriedly.

"It'll be okay, right?" he says, more to no one than it being a legitimate question to Jongwoon, as he crosses his arms over his chest and hugs himself. "I'll get Sungmin his medicine and he'll get better and things will go back to the way they were."

Jongwoon sighs and pulls Ryeowook into a comforting hug. "Things will work out," he confirms, giving Ryeowook the answer he wants. "They will."

***

Ryeowook can't help but feel like he's being watched as he scurries through town, pulling at the hood on his outer cloak nervously. It doesn't matter that the market streets aren't nearly as crowded as usual because of the rain. He tries to tell himself that he's being ridiculous, he's been hiding for nearly three months and surely no one will recognize him here, but that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach curls in on itself and it's hard to ignore.

The chemist was kind enough, and he totes the medicine in the pocket of his cloak as proof of that, briefly patting it to make sure it’s still there, but it isn’t enough to shake off the feeling that something bad is going to happen, frown lines on his forehead only deepening.

It feels like an eternity before he’s back to their home, quietly entering and hanging his cloak, taking out the medicine and rushing into the kitchen to prepare it for Sungmin to eat, hearing Jongwoon come up behind him and lay a hand on his shoulder, warm and inviting and Ryeowook simply wants to curl up against him and sleep for a week. 

“Could you wake Sungmin for me?” He says softly, mixing everything that needs to be combined in a cup and turning to Jongwoon wearily, pleading at him with his eyes. “He’s going to have to be awake to give him this.”

“I think he’s awake now, he’s been crying for Henry in his sleep,” Jongwoon nods, hesitating on his way back to Sungmin, looking at Ryeowook with worry on his face and pressing his hand to his forehead, as if checking for a fever. “Ryeowook, are you going to be okay? You look exhausted.”

Ryeowook nods, smiling to assuage fear, though whether it's Jongwoon's or his own, he isn't sure. "I'm fine. I was just nervous the whole time I was out, the stress is finally wearing off." He follows Jongwoon into the bedroom where Sungmin is struggling to sit up, looking like death warmed over. His eyes are sunken and red, his face is pale and he's still shivering violently from time to time. Ryeowook's heart breaks and he's glad Henry is out working, not here to see this. "Sungmin, I have some medicine for you. Do you think you'll be able to stomach anything?" 

Sungmin seems lucid enough as he nods weakly. "I'm hungry," he whispers, voice long gone. He eyes the mug and looks a little disappointed. "Do you have any food too?" Jongwoon takes this as his cue to go fetch some bread to tide Sungmin over, as Ryeowook nods.

"Yeah, I'll cook you up some soup once you take this, okay?" Sungmin nods and takes the mug with shaky hands, Ryeowook helping to steady his grip as he brings the mug to his lips. He takes one sip, chokes, and makes a face.

"Ugh, it's so bitter," he whines, eyes watering at the flavor as Ryeowook forces him to take another sip. 

"You have to drink it all or you won't get better," Ryeowook says gently but firmly, halfway thinking that he really does sound like a mother comforting her child.

“I’m not a little kid, I can do it,” Sungmin mutters, stomaching the rest of the medicine quickly and glaring half heartedly at Ryeowook. “Where’s Henry? I keep hearing him crying in the middle of the night, is he okay?”

Sungmin barely manages to finish the sentence before the medicine begins to take effect, effectively knocking him out and Ryeowook watches worriedly as the other man sinks back into the pillows propping him up, creases easing out of his face.

“We’re all just falling apart at the seams, aren’t we,” Ryeowook mumbles as Jongwoon comes in with Sungmin’s bread, setting it on the bedside table as he notices Sungmin completely out, focusing his attention on Ryeowook, looking so small as he sits there dismally. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.”

“Ryeowook, you should go get some rest,” Jongwoon says softly, not wanting to wake Sungmin and gently taking Ryeowook’s arm, hoping to lead him to the couch at least. “I know you haven’t been sleeping, and there’s a good few hours before Henry comes home, please at least take a nap.”

“I can’t,” Ryeowook says, even as he yawns widely, speech beginning to slur as his adrenaline finally starts to wear off and pure exhaustion takes over, wobbling as Jongwoon leads him. “And ‘sides, don’t want to sleep without you.”

"Sleep," Jongwoon all but orders, pushing Ryeowook down on the couch and looking around for the blanket they usually keep on it. "I'm not asking this time, Wook. I'll stay up and take care of Sungmin until Henry gets home. You've done enough."

Ryeowook can't even open his mouth to protest before he's out, the stress and nerves of the day finally getting the best of him. Jongwoon smiles softly as he drapes the blanket over Ryeowook, pressing a kiss to his forehead and tucking his head more comfortably over the arm of the sofa. 

"You and Sungmin are a lot alike," he whispers. "You two both put everyone else before yourself, no matter if you push yourself to the brink in the meantime. The only difference is that you usually don't push yourself to the point of being suicidal."

But Ryeowook is already asleep, out nearly as soon as his head had hit the soft arm of the couch, one arm weakly holding on to Jongwoon’s shirt still, worry beginning to fade from his face as the embrace of sleep takes his, chest rising and falling shallowly. Jongwoon gently pulls the hand away from his shirt, squeezing it lightly.

He smiles tiredly, brushing Ryeowook’s bangs back from his face one last time before going back to sit vigil over Sungmin, seeing his friend exactly how he’d left him, sleeping soundly against the pillows and breath seeming to come easier, a small amount of color returning to his paled cheeks.

“Some bunch, aren’t we, Min,” He says, mostly to himself, chuckling lightly. “You seem to have brought down the entire household, but then again, you’ve always had that effect on people, haven’t you?”

Sungmin simply mumbles in his sleep in response, something about Henry, and it causes a small smile to form on his face. It would seem that this journey has brought them both somewhere completely different than either of them imagined. He wonders about his brother, his family, and feels a small pang in his chest. But then he thinks of Henry, crying every night over Sungmin’s bed, and Ryeowook, a small, private smile playing on his face.

He’s rather sure he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

...

"I'm so glad to be out of that damn bed," Sungmin says, cheerily shoveling down the rice and eggs Ryeowook had prepared for breakfast that morning. "I'm sure the muscles in my legs had started to atrophy, much longer and I wouldn't have been able to walk!"

Henry is all smiles, more than happy and relieved to see Sungmin back to his normal self. "Thank god that you're feeling better, the last week and a half of thinking you were going to die was hell, okay." 

Sungmin smiles apologetically, Jongwoon just rolling his eyes and Ryeowook grinning at their happy banter, much like the way you can't help but laugh after nearly escaping death. "I really didn't mean to worry you all. I won't be doing _that_ again any time soon, I certainly felt like death." 

"Yes, well, maybe next time you'll think before you act," Jongwoon scolds through a mouth full of rice, and Ryeowook crinkles his nose at his poor table manners. "We don't want to see you like that ever again, do you hear me?"

“Yes, yes, _mother_ ,” Sungmin says exasperatedly, yelping when Jongwoon smacks him on the arm, pouting at him. “And don’t hit the sick person! You’re supposed to be extra nice to me because I’m still ill.”

“Well he must be feeling better if he’s arguing with Jongwoon again,” Ryeowook sighs, glancing at Henry with amusement as the other man nods vigorously, agreeing with him completely. Jongwoon laughs and Sungmin merely continues pouting, poking at his food and looking disdainfully at the last of his bitter medicine. “Thank goodness.”

“Henry,” Sungmin whines petulantly, frowning at the medicine on the corner of the table like a child and turning puppy eyes on the younger man, playful spark beginning to come back to them. “Please don’t make me take that awful concoction anymore, I’m feeling better, honestly!” Henry frowns at him and Sungmin just raises his eyebrow suggestively, eating the last of his breakfast. “Maybe you can just kiss it better?”

"Sorry, Min, gotta side with Ryeowook on this one," Henry replies, chuckling when Sungmin pouts. "I'm not letting you go back to work until you are one hundred percent better." He leans over and places a peck on Sungmin's cheek. "Though I'm not object to kiss it better."

"Save it for the bedroom," Ryeowook coughs, and Henry glares at him. "What? I still owe you for walking in on me and Jongwoon before." Jongwoon chokes on his food, having forgot about the whole ordeal, and Henry rolls his eyes. 

"That was almost a month ago, let it go," Henry snorts, taking a big bite of rice. "You hold worse grudges than a woman scorned." Ryeowook stands from his chair and whacks Henry over the head with the wooden spoon. "Hey! This is child abuse!"

"More like childish abuse," Jongwoon chortles, not bringing himself to be insulted on Ryeowook's behalf for all the women comments. "Come on Henry, we have to leave soon, hurry and finish your food."

"Yes, Dad," Henry quips brattily, grinning as Jongwoon takes his turn to glare. "Okay, okay, I'm done, let's go then, old man!"

“Fine, fine,” Jongwoon sighs, ignoring Henry as he has resigned himself to doing, thankful at least ‘Ryeona’ seems to have finally died. “Let’s get going then, bring home coin for the women folk and all that.”

“I heard that, Jongwoon!” Ryeowook yells back, smile crossing his face even as his tone is annoyed, shooing them off. “Now go, or you’ll never get out the door. Not that I’d mind, we could spend the whole day in bed then, finish what we started before.”

Suggestion rings clear in Ryeowook’s voice and Jongwoon laughs loudly, Henry following him as he opens the door to leave. He’s about to step out when suddenly there’s a spear an inch from his nose, going wide eyes when he sees the troop of armed men outside their doorstep, Henry seeming to pale instantly behind him.

“Can I help you, gentlemen?” Jongwoon questions weakly, deep seated worry rising from his heart, and he suddenly gets the feeling that everything is going to change, feeling bile rise in his throat.

“Yes,” The guard with spear aimed at his throat sneers, pushing past him and storming into the house, seeing Ryeowook and grinning, a smirk in his eyes. “We are here with a warrant for the capture and retrieval of the heir to his Lordship’s position, Kim Ryeowook, and all that may have aided him in the escape from his upcoming duty.”

Ryeowook looks like he’s about to be ill and Jongwoon and Sungmin’s eyebrows shoot into their hair lines, gaping in disbelief.

Jongwoon steps protectively in front of Ryeowook as he notices him starting to shake, the guards closing in around him and the rest of them, Sungmin standing up weakly from the table and clenching his fists, almost looking ready to fight.

“Ryeowook,” Jongwoon whispers fiercely, eyes wide and backing up farther as the guards come closer. “Just _what_ kind of secrets are you hiding?”

 

**End of Arc I**  



	8. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of loss.

Sungjin knows something is wrong with his older brother. He didn't act like it in front of their father, all smiles and atonement, but Sungjin saw the worry behind his eyes. He is 16, not 6, and he's a lot more perceptive than people give him credit for. He watches Sungmin leave, rod in tow, out of the corner of his eye as he's clearing the breakfast mess, frowning at the obviously fake smile plastered on his brother face.

It bothers him all day, unable to focus on his work, nearly falling into the pigsty and getting scolded by Farmer Jungmo for being so distracted. He apologizes profusely, promising his mentor that he will make up the work tomorrow if he can just take the rest of the day off, he isn't feeling very well. Jungmo regards him with a suspicious eye but lets him go, and he finishes pouring the grain into the pigs' feeders and scurries off. 

The day is near its end, and Sungjin hurries home to see if Sungmin is back yet. Their father has Elder duties tonight, so he would probably be staying at the Temple with the High Priests discussing the sermons right up until the bell chimes. He feels his heart sinking and his stomach twisting in knots as he finds he is the only one in the house, but quells the rising fear by telling himself that it's not quite the sleeping hour yet, maybe Sungmin has had a good catch today and is off to have them salted and preserved. So he prepares supper, a simple stew (which is the only thing he can cook with confidence), preparing two bowls of food and sitting one at the table for Sungmin. 

Sungmin never shows up. Sungjin picks at his food, hardly eating as he hears the water clock chime, tolling twelve times to mark the hour of sleep. He worries his lip, wondering what could have possibly been on his brother's mind this morning at breakfast. He prays to Luzo, prays beyond praying, that Sungmin had at least been telling the truth about his atonement for helping the demons. He doesn't want to think about the possibility if he hadn't. But what if he had? He remembers the woman at the riot the day they fell from the sky screaming possession and thinks resolutely, _That has to be it. They're still possessing my brother and he won't be completely back to normal until they're dead._

He hears the front door open and he leaps up, heart swelling in relief as he goes to greet his brother. "Sungmi--" he starts to cry happily, but his joy falters as his father walks in the doorway. "Father, welcome home," he bows respectfully, quickly collecting himself. Unfortunately, the damage is done and when Sungjin straightens, his father is wearing a stern look.

"Sungjin, where is your brother? I'd much like to speak with him," the Elder says slowly, his tone clearly showing that he already knows the answer. Sungjin falters, not for the first time fearing his father's reaction.

"I... don't know, Father. Sungmin hasn't returned home yet," he replies in barely a whisper. The fury is almost tangible in the Elder's eyes and Sungjin silently begs Sungmin to walk through the door that very second, to tell him he got caught up at the market or talking to Jongwoon or _something_. Anything. "Father, I'm worried," he says hurriedly, trying to assuage the Elder's wrath by telling him his fears from this morning, wanting more than anything to keep more blame from falling on Sungmin. "What if the demons really _did_ possess him?"

“Then they must be exorcised, by any means possible,” The Elder says firmly, leaving no room for argument and staring at Sungjin harshly, as if searching his younger son’s eyes for some gleam of hidden information. “Your brother and I are going to have a long talk once he gets home, this behavior is unacceptable and I demand an explanation.”

Sungjin nods nervously, fearing for his brother slightly at the tone in his father’s voice and hoping that there’s a reasonable explanation for all of this and he won’t have to watch Sungmin go through any more punishment.

He’s about to respond when there’s a timid knock on the door, the sound echoing throughout the silence of the house. Sungjin allows his heart to leap for a moment in hoping that it is his brother, but feels it sink again when after his father calls them in, it is simply the guard in charge of watching the demons for the night.

“What is your business here?” The Elder says stiffly as the man bows shallowly, looking as nervous as Sungjin feels, Sungmin’s brother wondering what business the guard could possibly have as well, and hoping that his brother hasn’t gotten himself into something he shouldn’t have yet again.

“Sir,” The guard begins, glancing at his feet and shuffling about, looking almost guilty. “Jongwoon just came to relieve me from my post, as he was sent, but what he said was strange, very unlike him in character. It was as if something cruel was using him as a voice box, I daresay those demons have possessed him.”

“I did not send Jongwoon to replace you,” The Elder says with narrowed eyes, glancing at Sungjin momentarily, mouth twisting into a deeper frown then before and examining the guard closely, searching for lies in his tone. “You were the only scheduled watch tonight, I wrote it out myself.”

“I told you, father!” Sungjin exclaims before he can hold it in, dread starting to form in his stomach, true worry for his brother overriding his better senses. “The demons must have taken hold of Jongwoon as well in their contact with them, it’s the only explanation for both of their behaviors!”

The Elder's wrath does not seem assuaged; however, it doesn't seem like he's mad at Sungmin anymore. Instead his shoulders swell and he turns to the guard, eyes glaring viciously. "You say Jongwoon was acting strange, as though he's been possessed, and you _left him alone with the demons_?"

The guard's eyes widens as though he just now realized the gravity of his error. "I...! I just thought that I should come fetch you, because Elders are the only one who can issue an exorcism and since you're close to Jongwoon's family and what happened the other day, I--"

"You bumbling idiot!" the Elder roars, pushing past the guard and making haste in the direction of the geysers, Sungjin trailing not far behind. His heart is racing, wondering what it was that Jongwoon could have said that would frighten the guard so much that he would abandon his post to come fetch an Elder. 

They're halfway to the geyser wells when Sungjin sees movement out of the corner of his eye, and it attracts his attention because everyone should be in their homes by now, it _is_ the sleeping hour, after all. He is distracted from it, though, when he sees Jongjin running up to them from the direction of the clock.

"Sungjin, Sir Elder," he pants, taking long strides to keep up because Sungjin's father is showing no signs of stopping. "Have either of you seen my brother? I went to go fill up the clock and when I got home my parents said neither of them had seen him all day."

The Elder’s eyebrows reach his hairline and he says nothing, simply resuming his rapid pace and causing Sungjin and Jongjin to have to nearly jog to keep up, Sungjin’s sinking feeling only growing worse as they continue their way to the geyser.

“What’s going on?” Jongjin questions worriedly, looking around anxiously and eyes full of question as he glances at Sungjin, slightly suspicious at the tense silence. “Where is my brother? Tell me!”

“I don’t know,” Sungjin says, a tad of desperation in his voice, knowing what’s going to come if they don’t find Jongwoon soon, knowing Jongjin’s near hero worship of his brother. “I can’t even find my own brother, how am I supposed to know where _yours_ is?”

“But he’s been so drawn lately, he won’t even tell me what’s wrong! Why are we going to the geyser, has he done something again?” Jongjin’s eyes are wide as questions continue to pour out, looking more terrified by the second. Sungjin winces, knowing how much the knowledge of his brother’s punishment had pained him. He hopes Jongjin doesn’t do anything too foolish as his friend calls ahead to the Elder. “You can’t punish him again, he’s done nothing wrong!”

“That has yet to be seen, Jongjin,” Sungjin’s father says harshly as he continues ahead, nearly to the eerily quiet geyser. “He’s committed a wrong tonight, but we do no know if it was of his own volition yet or not, it seems these demons may be more powerful than we first thought them to be.”

“What?” Jongjin’s tone sinks and he begins to slightly panic, just as the Elder lets out a curse, seeing the makeshift prison of the geyser to be empty, with not a soul around, Jongwoon or otherwise. “What do you mean? Tell me what’s going on, you can’t just keep me in the dark like this!”

"We think he's been possessed," Sungjin breathes, staring wide-eyed and disbelief at the well that is bubbling over as he comes to a dead stop, Jongjin wearing a similar expression. "Him and Sungmin both. The guard told us Jongwoon came to relieve him, that he was saying unholy things, _evil_ things."

"But... but how did they escape?" Jongjin whispers, remembering how weak they had been when he helped Sungmin go to see them. "That geyser must be twenty meters deep, there's no way they could have climbed out on their own!" 

The Elder steps forward to investigate, ignoring the water as he sloshes in up to his calves in water, kneeling down beside the well to get a closer look. The bars on the well have been unlocked, the keys thrown haphazardly to the side, and floating near the well off to the side is a coil of rope, tangled up and abandoned. "They didn't," he growls menacingly. "They had help."

Jongjin gulps imperceptibly and he really hopes that Luzo will forgive him, but he keeps his mouth shut. He knows Sungmin must have gone to Forbidden Land after his conversation with these alleged demons and he's certain more than he cares to admit that if Sungmin, and Luzo forbid Jongwoon, helped these two escape, they did it of their own accord. But he saw them too, their weakened forms, and he is more inclined to believe their claims than Sungjin and his father. Furthermore, he knows that his brother and Sungmin were as good as dead because a beating would be the least of their punishment for aiding and abetting the would-be executees.

Sungjin's shocked expression turns to anger, however. "Those demons... they better pray that I don't find them. They'll pay for messing with my brother!" 

"Sungjin, calm yourself," the Elder grates out, standing and turning to the two young men. "Irrationality will get you nowhere. Jongjin," he orders, turning to the young time keeper. "Sound the alarm. Even if my son and your brother helped the demons to escape, willingly or under the pressure of evil persuasion, it can't have been very long ago. They wouldn't have gone far."

“Yes, sir,” Jongjin says quickly, fear in his voice as he wonders what will happen to his brother, hoping that he’s alright and the demons haven’t gotten to him, just wanting his old brother back, the one who actually talked to him instead of brooding and running around nervously, close to hoping it is a demon doing this to him and that he hasn’t completely betrayed everything they’ve been brought up to believe as right. “I’ll make sure to tell the townspeople of the crisis, the demons won’t get far.”

“Father, where could they have gone?” Sungjin asks nervously as he watches Jongjin dash off, waiting for the telltale ringing of the bell in the background, wondering what they’re supposed to do now as he has a sinking suspicion as to where to could be. “What are we supposed to do?”

“The demons probably lured them to the forbidden land,” The Elder says grimly, making his way back to town as they hear the beginnings of the bell, picking up the pace so that he may inform the townspeople of what transpired. “We’re going to have to go as quickly as we can in order to retrieve your brother and Jongwoon, before it’s too late.”

Sungjin nearly freezes as the forbidden land is brought up, the gravity of the situation suddenly hitting him and he realizes he may not have a brother after this whole ordeal, the thought sending ice through his veins.

“The forbidden land?” Sungjin says, stopping dead in his tracks and heart sinking rapidly, beginning to worry even more, suddenly feeling much younger as his father cuts through him with his stare, urging him to move faster. “But father, no one can survive there! The priests taught us that, won’t we be too late if they’ve already gotten that far?”

The Elder ignores him, and Sungjin claps a horrified hand over his mouth. "You don't really think..."

"If they indeed have made it to the Forbidden Land, their chances are slim," the Elder confirms, his voice even and eyes calculating, keeping a level head despite the situation. "We have to get to them before that happens."

"So you're saying they're going to die?" Sungjin gasps, his frightened eyes watering.  "Why aren't we going straight to the boundary, then, to stop them?"

"Going against demon half-cocked will do no good," the Elder explains calmly as they approach the townspeople drawing in around the bell, a nervous looking Jongjin doing his best to keep them calm. "We've seen that they can possess with as much as a single touch. We have to be cautious."

"Cautious?" Sungjin cries incredulously. "Caution will cost Sungmin and Jongwoon their lives if caution prevents us from stopping them before they get to the Forbidden Land! Father, how can you be so calm about this?"

"Sungjin," the Elder snaps, whirling around and grabbing his youngest child harshly by the shoulders, and Sungjin flinches. "Do not accuse me of inaction. No father wants to bury his son. I'm doing everything in my power to bring Sungmin and Jongwoon back. But as an Elder of this town it is my responsibility to prevent even more casualties. _Do you understand me_?"

“Yes, father,” Sungjin grits out, staring straight at the ground and waiting until the Elder sighs to look up, frown set in place on his face and still not meeting his father’s eyes, wanting nothing more than his brother back. “I understand.”

The Elder studies Sungjin for a moment before nodding, turning back around and continuing to the town center where Jongjin can be seen standing nervously, speaking as the gathered people look to be disgruntled and irritated.

“Good,” Sungjin’s father says stiffly as they come among the rest of the townspeople, nudging their way through until they’re standing at the head, Jongjin moving to stand beside Sungjin as the Elder takes his place, speaking quickly to Sungjin before addressing the crowd. “Sungjin, this is for everyone’s best interests, you must remember that.”

Sungjin merely nods before his father turns to face the crowd, announcing quickly in an authoritative voice as the gathered people quiet in his presence.

“As you all know, recently some demons escaped into our midsts,” He says clearly, raising his hand to stop the words of anger that rise at the mentions of demons, the crowd moving with unrest. “It seems they have escaped their judgement, and taken two of our own with them, Time Keeper Jongwoon and my own son, Sungmin.”

“I told you they’d been possessed!” A voice rings out from the edge of the crowd, and Sungjin recognizes it as the woman who had said such in the beginning, her voice followed by murmurs of agreement and more questions directed at the Elder, forcing him to wave his hand for silence again. 

"We need to search the town for anywhere they may be hiding. Set up three search parties -- one for the mines and the crop houses, one for the village, and one for the Forbidden Land." A collective gasp runs throughout the crowd.

"My respected colleague," one of the more wizened Elders pipes, "forgive my disrespect, but Luzo will strike us down the minute we step foot into the Forbidden Land. Furthermore, if the demons have already taken the children that far, then I fear it may be too late."

"Be that as it may," Sungjin's father sighs, rubbing his temples. "We still have two demons running in our midst. They may flee, they may be hiding in recuperation to strike again." He turns back to the crowd at large. "I ask that you volunteer only if you feel you are in Luzo's graces enough for him to forgive your transgression in this time of emergency."

Jongjin bites his tongue as he hears the crowd continue to get riled up, wondering if he has done the right thing. Demons or not, they have his brother, and all he wants is to bring Jongwoon home, safe and sound. Sungjin's father continues to set orders up as the people organize themselves into three parties, and as they split up they elect leaders of each team.

"Search the town! They can't have gone far!" one of the leaders cries, rallying their group together. Jongjin clenches his eyes closed and prays, not willing to go with the search parties and doom the ones he knows his brother stood up so valiantly for. But he feels a tug on his sleeve as the people file away, wielding whatever weapons they may have, and Sungjin looks up at him with his eyes wide in fear.

“What are they going to do to them?” He whispers, eyes looking conflicted as he looks at his friend, seeing the same turmoil run through his own eyes. “It sounds like they’re out to kill them, not save them! If our brothers are possessed, shouldn’t we exorcise them instead of hunting them?”

“They will not harm my brother,” Jongjin says vehemently, teeth clenched and fists following suit, looking determinedly towards the sacred river while the teams organize before looking fiercely back at Sungjin. “I don’t care what they think he’s done, they’ll harm him over my dead body, he’s done nothing wrong. I’m going to look for him myself, are you with me, or against me?”

Sungjin bites his lip nervously as his friends eyes bore holes into him, wanting an answer that he really doesn’t have to give. He knows that Sungmin is nearly doomed if one of the groups of mobs finds him and Jongwoon, but the wrath of his father also hangs over his head, seeing him beckon for him from where he stands, speaking quickly with the leader of the group to the Forbidden Land.

“Jongjin you know I can’t go with you,” He says nervously, seeing Jongjin’s face fall and wince internally, feeling beyond confused and torn, wishing he could rewind time and go back to this morning, having stopped Sungmin from leaving and prevented this whole mess. “Father would kill me, I can’t defy him now!”

"Your father is going to kill _Sungmin_ if he gets the chance," Jongjin growls, outraged. "And you're worried about your own skin?" Sungjin fidgets uncomfortably under the older boy's gaze, and Jongjin scoffs. "I can't believe you."

"You don't understand!" Sungjin nearly wails, eyeing his father nervously, the man still distracted with the riot. "If I go against him in this kind of chaos he'll probably think I've been possessed too! I won't do Sungmin any good if I'm at the bottom of a well or beaten unconscious!" 

Jongjin grounds his teeth, unwilling to admit that Sungjin has a point. "Fine," he snaps, "do what you want. I'm going to look for my brother." He storms off, Sungjin's desperate gaze following him as he slips off from the crowd, unnoticed because of the din of the shouts. The younger boy is torn, knowing that if Jongjin finds them that they have a better chance of living, but when he hears his father summoning him once again, that helpless feeling overrides anything else, and it is with a heavy heart that he trudges over to join the search party.

...

Jongjin storms into the house, practically kicking the door down as he enters. His mother, who was sitting on the sofa, jumps nearly a foot into the air as his entrance startles her. His father is still out with the search parties, even as their hope in finding the children (or the demons) dwindled, but she had been sent home to rest, her worry preventing her from being much use. 

"Any word...?" she whispers, pleading for a sign of hope. Jongjin merely looks at her, his gaze all but hardened steel, and she whispers, "No..."

"No word. None at all. They're gone," he states flatly, ignoring his mother's tears as his hear swells in anger and betrayal. "They're nowhere to be found. The demons have vanished, and for all we know they spirited Jongwoon and Sungmin away with them." His mother screams in agony, before falling back onto the couch in an anguished faint. Jongjin rushes over to catch her before her head hits the wall, laying her down on the couch.

"I believed them," he mutters as though his mother could hear him, his nails digging into his palms as he clenched his fingers into fists. "I believed them. They swore they weren't demons, and I fell for it. And now they've taken my brother."

He sighs, going back to his bedroom and locking the door, not in the mood for the fallout that is sure to ensue when his father arrives home and questions why he wasn’t with the search parties, sure to catch some kind of hell for his actions. Really though, he could care less because if they’re going to treat his brother like some kind of object to hunt and excuse for a mob, maybe it’s better for him to have disappeared.

“I just want my brother back,” He whispers to himself, hanging his head between his hands and suddenly feeling very young, remembering the days when he was small and couldn’t sleep thanks to the nightmares, Jongwoon coming to tuck him in and sing him to sleep, small smile on his face as he would smooth his younger brother’s hair back, gentle lullabies leaving his lips. “Is that really so much to ask?”

“Maybe there is no God,” He mutters, curling up on his bed and feeling so small, hearing his mother stirring in the entrance room, her wailing resuming as she remembers her youngest son’s words, no doubt giving up hope for Jongwoon. “And if there is then he’s no god of mine.”

He falls into a unrestful sleep, night terrors plaguing him relentlessly, and this time there’s nothing to chase them away.

...

Sungjin trudges home, stepping in silently behind his father. It was when the nearly-forgotten clock had chimed the waking hour that the Elders convened and decided to call off the search, and it was with a heavy heart that he listened to them all declare Sungmin and Jongwoon's loss, while tragic, a lost cause. 

"Let us all pray that Luzo welcomes Sungmin and Jongwoon with open arms," the old Elder who had spoken earlier, had said, "despite their transgressions. We most fear that they were not of their own minds when they departed this world. Let us pray that Luzo will see this and allow them into heaven." 

Sungjin has to fight back tears -- and fails miserably -- as he and his father enter the house without a word. As respectfully as he can, he bids his father good night, biting back words of disdain and borderline hatred at the man for giving up so easily. Sungmin is... _was_ his son! How could he just... stop?

He’s plagued with dreams of watching his brother die, over and over again, denied entrance to heaven and simply turning to dust in the forbidden land, restless and eventually settling with remaining awake, every memory he’s ever had with his brother running through his mind, and by morning he’s sleep deprived and red eyed, trudging out to the kitchen with a solemn expression on his face.

“Father,” He starts hesitantly when he sees him sitting at the table, face completely neutral and guarded, looking almost calculating. “Are we really going to stop looking for them like this? Sungmin was your son, my brother! We can’t just give up like this, can we?”

“We can, and we will, Sungjin,” The Elder says harshly, frowning deeply as Sungjin looks at him with wide eyes, filled with disbelief. “Your brother and Jongwoon are in the hands of Luzo now, and it would be best if we simply forgot about them, their transgressions are sure to be judged harshly at the gates to heaven.”

"But it wasn't even their _fault_!" Sungjin gapes. "Father, you know they were possessed, they had to have been! The Sungmin I know... _knew_ , would never have gone against Luzo so willingly!" His eyes water and he wonders what happened to his family, wonders when it ever began to crumble at the foundation.

The Elder rubs his temples, before meeting Sungjin's horrified, teary gaze. "It is beyond my power now, son. There is nothing more that we can do, without inciting the wrath of Luzo further. He has already cast his judgement on two of our own; I will not risk more lives than that."

Sungjin stands there, as though his father had slapped him across the face with his words. "He's your _family_ , Father," he breathes. " _Your_ first born _son_. And you're meaning to tell me you're putting the well being of everyone else before _him_? Is this what happened with Mom t--"

“You’re not to speak of her,” The Elder interrupts furiously, anger in his eyes and looking near ready to strike Sungjin, the young man’s tears sliding angrily down his face. “You know better than that, Sungjin, rules are placed here for a reason. And as far as I’m concerned, Sungmin is no longer a son of mine, I have only one child.”

“Father!” Sungjin exclaims, disbelief coloring his tone and eyes going wide, hoping beyond hope that his father isn’t saying what he thinks he means. “You can’t possibly mean that, I refuse to let you make me forget Sungmin like you made us forget our mother!”

This time the Elder does strike him, open palm cracking over Sungjin’s cheek, mark red and sure to bruise. Sungjin stands awestruck, frozen with fear as his father had never laid a hand on him before this, him having always been the model child. It stings in more ways than one, and his eyes fill up again quickly, having to bite his tongue to keep the angry curses from leaving his lips.

"Do not test me, Sungjin," the Elder says, voice dangerously low, leaving his hand raised for emphasis of his point. "Your mother and Sungmin tested Luzo in ways that were unforgivable, and brought not only brought his wrath upon themselves but shame upon our family. I will not allow you to do the same." 

Sungjin only bites down harder on his tongue, clearly realizing his father's priorities have never been his family but the honor of his name and his duty to Luzo. He says nothing to push his father further, however, and the Elder lowers his hand slowly, as if waiting for Sungjin to open his mouth again. The boy waits for his father to take his seat again before he says anything. "Will there at least be a burial ceremony?" he whispers, not daring to speak any louder.

"For who?" the Elder snaps. _He can't be serious_ Sungjin thinks, _Even Mom had a ceremony, he can't seriously deny Sungmin the proper guidance to Heaven..._ But the Elder's face is the epitome of seriousness. "I told you, I have only one son. Unless you plan on passing anytime soon, I have no need to prepare for a ceremony."

Sungjin simply stands in disbelief, holding back the words in his throat lest he be hit again, furious tears continuing to well in his eyes as his father sits back down, silently declaring the conversation over, and effectively erasing Sungmin’s entire existence with it. Just like his mother, and within moments he’s become a motherless only child, with only rapidly fading memories left for him.

“I, I need to leave,” He stutters out, walking quickly to the door before he does something he’ll regret later, storming out of the house, going who knows where, but needing to be anything but in the presence of his father, the man’s cold and uncaring eyes burned into his mind. 

All he can think is that if Sungmin were here, he’d know what to do.

“But he doesn’t exist anymore,” He says softly to himself, walking on the beaten path to town aimlessly, residual tears still slipping down his face. He unknowingly begins to slowly making his way toward the time keeper’s house, Jongjin the only one he knows will listen to him. “Oh Luzo, what I am supposed to do now.”

There’s no answer from anyone, any god, and he feels completely alone for the first time in his life, resolving that even if the entire community chooses to forget his brother, he never will.

....

Jongjin hasn't left his room all morning.

Ever since his dad trudged through the door, saying they had called off the search and that of all things they were _forbidden_ from giving Jongwoon a proper burial, he had slammed his bedroom door and barricaded it with the chair from his desk to keep his parents out. He knows its not their fault but this is his _brother_ they were talking about, their _son_ and they weren't saying anything because they were afraid to stand up to the Elders. He figures he's entitled to hate them just a little bit. 

He's curled up under the covers, refusing to do anything but cry, and mourn the loss of Jongwoon the only way he's allowed, not even listening when his father pleads with him to understand. He just clenches his eyes shut and presses his pillow to his ears, ignoring the world. 

It's when there's yet another knock at the door, that he finally snaps. "Go _away_ ," he snaps, sounding more distraught than angry. "I don't want to see anyone right now!"

"Jongjin, dear..." his mother pleads, her voice hoarse from crying, and Jongjin feels the slightest bit guilty. He knows she must have it hard too... Jongwoon was her first baby, after all. "Please open the door."

“Please, mom,” He says quietly, sniffling a bit, talking more gently than he had been before. He knows it isn’t his mother’s fault, but he can’t help but want to curl up in a ball and die, feeling like an entire chunk of himself is missing. “I just want to be left alone, can you please entitle that to me?”

“Jongjin, you need to come out of your room,” His mother pleads, knowing how distraught her second son is, seeing the absolute adoration he held towards his brother and knowing this blow may be irreparable. “Your father would like to talk to you, it’s very important. Please at least come and listen to what he needs to tell you, you know Jongwoon wouldn’t want you to be crying and doing nothing.”

“How could you know what he wanted? And what could be more important than my brother right now?” Jongjin calls back angrily, fresh fury rising inside him as he thinks on the whole situation, trying desperately to keep more tears springing from his eyes. “How could you stand by while they called off the search, even denying him a proper funeral! This is _Jongwoon_ that we’re talking about, how could this be allowed to happen?”

"I know you're upset, but you know how much your brother cared for you and hated seeing you upset, what would he say if he saw you now?" his mother begs, trying to get Jongjin to see to reason, her voice trembling with another onslaught of tears. "Please, Jongjin, don't push me away, I've already lost one son, I don't think my heart could bear it if I lost you too." 

Jongjin wants to be angry with her, he really does, because if he were he could blame someone for this whole awful affair. But he can't help but think of what Jongwoon would say if he were to see him acting so coldly to their mother, whom he loved dearly too. So he finds the strength to pull himself from the bed, scoots the chair over, and opens the door.

The look of relief on his mother's face is palpable but the sorrow is clear. Her hair is sticking out of her high bun, which is half falling out, and her eyes are swollen and red and her face is gaunt and sunken and she looks like she hasn't slept for days, but it's only been one. The moment Jongjin sees her, the tears slam into him and he just wants to be held, to be a little child again. "Mama..." he whimpers, and falls into her waiting arms, sobbing into her chest.

She holds him to her heart and sighs, stroking her youngest child’s hair in an attempt to calm him down, trying to remain collected as he sobs in her arms, suddenly the small baby that used to sleep and cry in her arms, stopping only when Jongwoon would take him and talk to him, babbling happily in a much younger voice.

“Go talk with your father now,” She tells him gently, sobs racking his body slowly subsiding, only the small shiver in his shoulders and his red eyes evidence of his tears. “I know he wants to talk to you, and remember Jongjin, be strong. It’s how Jongwoon taught you to be, isn’t it?”

It brings a weak laugh from his lips as he remembers all the times Jongwoon had teased him for being a crybaby, pinching his chubby cheeks and telling him that he had to grow up to be a strong man and make his big brother proud, and he has to bite his lip to hold back fresh tears as he nods, slowly moving to the living room, where he’s sure his father will be.

“Father?” He says weakly as he walks in, seeing the eldest time keeper sitting on the couch with his head in his hands, a small pouch sitting in his lap. “Mother said that you wanted to talk to me? What do you need?”

His father looks up, looking older and more tired than Jongjin has ever seen him. "Oh, you've finally come," he says, almost surprised that his youngest son has left the shelter of his room. "Here, sit down." He scoots over to make room for Jongjin to sit, and Jongjin does so cautiously, wondering what his father could possibly be wanting to tell him.

"Son, I'm sure you know that a lot of traditions we keep usually are kept by the oldest son," his father begins slowly, and Jongjin's shoulders tense at the thought of already having this conversation. "And I know what you're thinking, that Jongwoon hasn't been... gone nearly long enough for us to even discuss these things yet but..." he trails off, as if he's having difficulty choosing his words.

"Then why?" Jongjin chokes. "Why won't you just let me mourn him first before making me take over his responsibilities?"

The eldest time keeper looks almost offended, but more heartbroken that his son would jump to that conclusion. "This is not a responsibility, Jongjin," he says, fingering the silken pouch in his lap, "but a privilege. One that I hadn't the opportunity to give to your brother before he... And I regret not giving it to him sooner. So I'm giving you this opportunity now, so that you can hang on to it in the future and so that this old man can at least ease his guilty conscience."

He hands the pouch over to Jongjin carefully, gesturing for him to open it. Lying inside is a simple silver band, not very thick or particularly rich looking, but it’s the thin band of a piece of their stars that encircles it that catches his breath, catching what little light is in the house, luminescent and beautiful.

“This band is traditionally given by the mother to the eldest time keeper son,” His father says tiredly, something like regret shining in his eyes as he looks at Jongjin, now looking curiously at him. “To be given to the one who he loves the most, his bride on the day of their marriage. It is a tradition passed down since my great grandfather carved this ring, and would have been given to Jongwoon had he married...before. Though I regret not being able to get this to Jongwoon in time, I’m now passing it on to you Jongjin, you’ve come of the age to accept it. Treasure it well.”

Jongjin simply looks at his father in awe, almost disbelieving that his father is giving him such an important heirloom, one rightfully belonging to Jongwoon at that. He swallows hard and nods, still gazing at the ring in his hand, putting on a determined face.

"I won't let you down, Jongwoon," he whispers, eyes watering as he clenches his fingers tightly around the ancient band. "I'll do you proud, you just watch." 

***

Sungjin stands at the door to the time keeper's home, unsure of whether he should disturb the family. They had to be grieving too, after all, and that is a very private matter. But he had no idea who else that he could turn to -- no one else knew of the the pain that he was going through, and he certainly couldn't stay in the same house as the father who condemned his brother to death. So he took a shaky breath and knocked on the door. 

He hears the quiet footsteps shuffling inside the door before it opens, revealing Jongjin's mother. She takes one look at the pitiful state her son's friend is in and quickly ushers him in the door. "Come in, dear, come in... I'm so sorry for your loss, too. Jongjin is absolutely torn up, and I know you must feel the same, you were very close to Sungmin too..."

He simply bites his lip and nods, still not trusting his voice to come out without bursting into tears or angry bursts of violence, shaken to the core by his father’s words and the still very fresh loss of his brother, not even entitled to his grief at his own home.

“Jongjin is in his room if you’d like to speak to him,” Jongjin’s mother speaks gently, ushering the boy through the house with a gentle hand on his shoulder, knowing if he’s even a fraction as affected as her son, then he could probably use some gentle words. “I’m sure he’d like to see you, maybe it would help to ease your grief.”

Sungjin thinks that nothing short of his brother coming back to life in some kind of Luzo given miracle would ease what he’s feeling right now, but doesn’t say so, giving a tentative smile before knocking gently on Jongjin’s door, whispering through it.

“Jongjin?” He calls softly, hearing shifting around the door. “I need to talk to you, right now, I don’t know who else I can talk to anymore.”

Jongjin's mother waits with him until the door opens a crack, and smiles as if assuring Sungjin that it was okay to go in. He enters the room to see Jongjin throwing a blanket over something in the corner behind the door. He clears his throat a Jongjin stands, face set in a mask of determination, though looking relieved to see it's Sungjin.

"I thought you were my mom," he clarifies at Sungjin's raised eyebrow, but his gaze softens when he realizes the younger boy shouldn't even be here in the first place. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be mourning with your father?"

Sungjin cringes at the mention of his Father, and clenches his fists at his side. "It would help if he were willing to mourn in the first place. He's... he's not having a funeral for Sungmin. He's even gone as far as pretending he never existed. As far as he's concerned, I'm an only child."

Jongjin's eyes widen at the prospect. "Are you serious? He's forbidden us from giving Jongwoon a funeral, too, but to pretend his own son just doesn't exist..." He immediately regrets his words because Sungjin's shoulders begin to tremble again, and he wishes he had kept his mouth shut because Sungjin probably knew this all already and didn't need reminding.

He sighs and closes the gap between them, walking over to give his younger friend a comforting hug, the tremors continuing in his shoulders. He’d always know that Sungjin’s father was harsher than most, but never thought he’d go so far to deny his own son’s existence, mere hours after his proclaimed death.

“It’ll be okay,” He shushes, determination allowing him to keep his composure, sure that this is what Jongwoon would have wanted him to do, not sit around and cry in his room all day, avoiding his friend in clear need. “Don’t worry Sungjin, everything will be okay.”

“But how is anything going to be okay?” Sungjin says tearfully, chastising himself inside for crying again so easily, wanting to have maintained some for of composure. But he thinks he may be entitled, his entire emotional state has been shattered and he barely has any sleep, memories of his brother and his father’s mandate nearly overwhelming him. “My brother is dead, and I can’t even give him a proper burial, or even speak of him! How is _anything_ going to be alright, Jongjin?”

"Because you know and I know despite your father's best attempts, you will never, _ever_ forget Sungmin," Jongjin assures. "You're old enough now to remember him. The only reason you don't remember much about your mother is because you were so young. And..." he turns his gaze to the pile in the corner he had covered with his blanket. "We're going to do a ceremony." 

Sungjin's eyes widen, eyes silently asking if Jongjin is being serious, and Jongjin moves to the corner and lifts the blanket so that he can see the candles and paper lanterns hidden underneath. "It's hard to have a proper burial with no bodies to bury but we can at least do the sending off ceremony. We'll do it tonight, after I've finished with the sleeping hour duty."

"How..." Sungjin breathes. "How did you get a hold of these? I thought the Priests were the one who held on to the materials for funerals."

“There happened to be some supplies lying around my house,” Jongjin snorts, lightly, a fond smile on his face. “I think my father guessed my plans and managed to smuggle some out for me, all the better, otherwise I believe I’d be breaking into the church. Our brothers are getting their proper burial rights, I don’t care what anyone says.”

“Jongjin...” Sungjin says in awe, overcome with joy at being able to give Sungmin the send off that he deserves, uncaring of what his father would think as he looks closer at the lanterns, the gathered candles. He smiles hesitantly, and remembers why Jongjin is his best friend, the other boy always having been the more grounded of the two. 

“Your father’s ignorance be damned, they’ll get their send offs from us,” Jongjin says determinedly, expression fierce and so unlike the teary boy that had been in his place that morning, his will slowly returning to him with the memories of his brother. “I’ll make sure of it.”

...

The bubbling of the river seems to echo in their ears, the silent town sleeping behind them eerily still. Sungjin had stayed over at Jongjin's house for the remainder of the day, his father gone anyway for his duties as Elder and Farmer Jungmo understanding of his grief (even though he was aware of the Elder's declaration). Jongjin's father had offered to take over the time keeper duties, but Jongjin adamantly refused, saying that he wouldn't let Jongwoon down. 

The heavenly light that has become a daily part of their lives now is dimmed for the night, the stars glowing brightly and reflecting off the water's surface. It takes Sungjin every ounce of restraint not to clutch the paper lantern so hard he would crush it, the candle and flint stone weighing heavily in his pocket. 

They follow the river downstream toward the geysers, only far enough so that they are not able to be seen from town. When Jongjin stops beside the water's edge, so does Sungjin, and he realizes with a start that this is it. After this, their brothers will be gone forever, off to join their Heavenly Father and he can only pray that their entrance to Heaven will be assured with this blessing and ceremony.

Jongjin bites his lip, sighing deeply before setting his lantern down, kneeling and taking out his flint, watching Sungjin follow suit. He strikes the stone and a small fire forms on the tip of the pristinely white candle, almost weak, and it makes Jongjin think that Jongwoon deserves so much more than this, his life worth more than any minimal fire could represent. 

“I guess this is goodbye, brother,” He whispers softly, holding the lantern close to his heart and hearing Sungjin’s deep breaths beside him, a desperate attempt to keep the sobs from escaping his throat. “You should have so much more than this, I’m sorry.”

He hears Sungjin murmuring his own private goodbye beside him, and only crawls closer to the river when it’s current is the only sound echoing throughout, glancing at Sungjin and taking a deep breath of his own, closing his eyes for a moment to regain his composure.

“May Luzo guide their souls to heaven,” He says softly, nodding at Sungjin and placing his lantern, Jongwoon’s lantern, gently into the water, watching it and Sungmin’s lantern flow downstream, lights slowly fading the farther they go, until they’re completely extinguished by distance. 

“And heaven willing they stay in our hearts,” Sungjin finishes quietly, tears winning over his resolve as he feels his heart crack, reaching out for Jongjin’s hand and gripping it like a life line, trying not to completely break down into sobs, wanting to at least give his brother the last of his composure as it all hits to be so real, lanterns completely out of sight. It’s when Jongjin begins to sing softly that he loses his battle, a small cry escaping his lips.

“ _Nearer, my God, to thee,_ ” He sings slowly, voice filled with nothing but utter sadness and resignation, squeezing Sungjin’s hand back and ignoring the tears streaming down his cheeks, wanting to give his beloved brother at least this. “ _Nearer to thee._ ”

_There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest,_ Sungjin joins, his words shaky with sobs as he tries to hold his voice steady. He chokes on his own voice, and Jongjin waits for him to catch his breath before going on. " _There in my Savior’s love, perfectly blest._ " 

" _Age after age to be, nearer, my God, to Thee._ " Jongjin's voice is little more than a murmur above the water now, and he has to tear his eyes away from the river on the horizon, the last bit of hope in his heart that Jongwoon would suddenly pop up and tell them this was all a horrible joke dwindling with the candle disappearing in the water. He tugs Sungjin away from the water, knowing if they dwell they'll not only cause themselves more heartache but also they'll get caught and cause more trouble.

Sungjin barely is able to stumble along behind Jongjin, letting the older boy lead the way as he is so blinded by tears, and not wanting to let his brother go, no matter how futile he knows it is, trying to grasp at something that isn't there. The last line of the hymn slips off his tongue, nearly unintelligible as it is no more than a whisper, followed by a hiccuping sob.

" _Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!_ "


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets are finally revealed.

There isn't much conversation among them. In fact there's little noise at all, save for the rattling of the wagon's wheels as they glide across the bumpy forest floor, the soft wooshing of the canvas covering them as it gives to the wind, and the guards sitting up front ushering the horses along. There are a trail of foot soldiers following the caravan but it's not like they can escape, with their hands and feet bound with rope. 

Sungmin is laying across Henry's lap, stretched out on his back and sleeping fitfully. It's the second day on the road, and the guards spared them little as far as blankets go the night before. That, combined with the chill of the night and the guards denying Sungmin his medicine, has made the poor man exhausted and weak as he fights off the tail end of his infection. 

Henry eyes Sungmin worriedly, wanting to stroke the man's hair in comfort but unable to without dragging both hands along. So he settles for rubbing his fingers in circles on Sungmin's shoulder, just reminding the sleeping man unconsciously that he's still there. Jongwoon and Ryeowook sit across from them, on the other side of the wagon, Ryeowook with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms, despite being bound, around his legs. He leans his head against Jongwoon's shoulder, eyes staring toward Henry but not really seeing anything. Jongwoon gave up trying to hold his hand, the awkward position making his arm ache, and just twiddles his thumbs in his lap, resting his head against the crown of Ryeowook's. He wants to whisper words of comfort to him, but the unspoken elephant between them makes it impossible to say anything. 

The silence is stifling, but none of them quite know what to do about it, Ryeowook’s expression having taken on a completely blank look since the moment they were dragged from the house, eyes desolate and almost scared looking. Jongwoon has no idea how to help him and sighs, knowing it’s the secrets between all of them that make it so, as this is surely Ryeowook’s past coming back to haunt him.

He sees Sungmin stir in Henry’s lap as they hit a bump on the road, eyes slipping open tiredly and face beginning to pale again, dark circles resting under his eyes as he represses a shiver, rolling inward to be closer to Henry. Jongwoon sighs deeply, hoping that when they do get to this so called Capitol that someone will be kind enough to give them some medication, infection likely to come back if Sungmin isn’t at least given proper rest soon. Ryeowook scoots slightly closer as well, as if trying to glean some of Jongwoon’s strength.

“I’m sorry,” The words surprise Jongwoon and he nearly jumps as the bare whisper escapes Ryeowook’s lips, cracking their den of silence, eyes still blank but now tinged with sorrow as well. “This is all my fault, if I’d just done what he’d asked of me then none of you would have had to have been dragged into this.”

"What who asked of you?" Jongwoon asks in an equally quiet voice, and Ryeowook barely lifts his head from the older man's shoulder. Jongwoon doesn't like the desperately lost look that Ryeowook sports, and a small twinge of fear courses through him as he thinks of what they're going to, what he and Henry are returning to.

"Take your pick. Henry, who told me not to run away in the first place. My uncle, who pretty much had my whole life mapped out from the moment he was given custody of me." Ryeowook shudders here, and for the first time since Jongwoon has met the man, Ryeowook looks like he's at his breaking point. Not even when they thought they were all going to die at the hands of the angry riot did Ryeowook look so broken. "And... Kyuhyun, who begged me to let him go. And I couldn't and he..." 

Jongwoon's eyes widen and his eyebrows shoot up into his hairline as Ryeowook starts trembling. Kyuhyun, Jongwoon realizes, must be Ryeowook's first and previously only lover, and from the way Ryeowook is acting their relationship did not meet a pleasant end. Henry watches them sadly, having been there when it happened and knowing exactly what Ryeowook is about to tell them.

“Ryeowook,” Jongwoon says softly, seeing the trembles getting worse as Ryeowook attempts to compose himself, supposed memories no doubt over running him. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, I’ll understand.”

“No,” Ryeowook says determinedly, steeling himself and taking a deep breath, feeling guilty that he’s kept such things from Jongwoon for so long, and gains strength from Henry looking encouragingly at him, Sungmin fighting to stay conscious in order to hear what Ryeowook’s about to say. “You have every right to know, Jongwoon, and I’m truly sorry for keeping it from you for this long.”

“I was young when I’d first met Kyuhyun,” He starts out slowly, leaning his head back into Jongwoon’s shoulder to keep him grounded, to not get himself lost in the mistakes of his younger years, keep him bound to the present. “Young and stupid obviously. He...he was kind to me. Henry and I met him on the street while we were on errands for my uncle once, and he really did have the most beautiful voice, singing for coin or work, whatever was offered. I still remember how he scolded me once for giving him ‘too much’ as he deemed it, he had so much pride.”

Ryeowook pauses here, taking another deep breath before continuing, having thought that time to be a closed period of his life, having started a new chapter when he ran. He feels a bolt of fear run through him when he wonders if this fate will befall Jongwoon as well, his heart becoming ice at the thought of the other man being taken away from him, trembling returning. He takes one more breath before continuing, determined to win out over his memories.

"I started seeing him romantically, shirking lessons to sneak off and see him. I liked to sing with him, though when I was with him he never put his cap down. He said he didn't want to sully my reputation, making people think I was a beggar too, but I didn't care. I was just happy with him, much happier than any of the potential brides my uncle had started arranging for me to see. And Kyuhyun was happy with me too. He took me to meet his sister, sweetest woman I had ever met and his sole guardian. I was afraid she would hate me, but she was just happy to see him happy with someone, even though I was a boy." 

Ryeowook clenches his hands so tightly that his knuckles turn white. "And then my uncle had someone follow me to town once because he figured out that I was skipping my lessons. They saw me... _with_ Kyuhyun and told my uncle and he was _not_ happy. He said he would not have his sole heir involved with someone of such 'heathen status' much less another male. He told me to 'end it immediately' and that if I didn't there would be severe consequences."

A tense silence falls over them as Ryeowook stops to collect himself, angry tears burning streaks down his cheeks. Jongwoon waits a moment, before pressing Ryeowook to continue. He didn't want to pry but he has been nothing but open with Ryeowook from the start and now that the younger man is telling him his past, he doesn't want him to stop. He wants to know about Ryeowook so that he can figure out how best to fix him. "Did you?" he presses quietly.

The younger man scoffs. "Of course I didn't. Or at least, I didn't want to. But Kyuhyun begged me to just let him go. He loved me, he said, but he feared the Lords. He told me it was because of the Lords that he had only his sister, that they took his parents away. He was afraid for Ahra and afraid for me, and said we would be better off sticking to our own social classes. I was young and headstrong and refused to let him go. I still snuck off to see him and scared though he was, he stayed, for me."

“He did nothing but give to me, and I catalyzed his death,” Ryeowook says angrily, pushing on through his tears and wishing his hands were unbound so he could wipe them away, a weakness he doesn’t want to show. “Of course we were found out again, it was a miracle we were able to sneak around as long as we did, unexperienced as we were.”

_Ryeowook is furious as he sits in his room, door dead bolted from the outside and meant to keep him in, his uncle having shoved him inside and told him that he would regret his actions, before leaving him there alone, absolutely terrified for Kyuhyun’s safety._

_“Kyu,” He whispers softly, hugging his knees to his chest and wishing he had Henry to talk to, his friend surely barred from seeing him as well, in light of his rebellion against his responsibilities as the Lord's heir. “Please be alright.”_

_An entire week of solitude passes before he hears loud, desperate knocks on his door, hearing the lock slide quickly out of place and seeing Henry’s face behind it, looking pale and worried, beckoning for Ryeowook to come quickly._

_“Ryeowook, you need to come now,” He whispers fiercely, something like terror lighting his eyes and looking up and down the hall quickly, making sure they aren’t being watched. “Something terrible has just happened, Kyuhyun is here, you need to speak to him right now, it’s urgent.”_

_Ryeowook's eyes widen as Henry tugs him out of the room and down the hallway, surprised at how quick the younger boy is and nearly stumbling along behind him. "What? What's happened?" he gasps, and Henry's only reply is to tug him harder across the manor, down to the cellars where the slaves live._

_When they get to the slave quarters, the other slaves suddenly freeze at the sight of one of the masters. Henry just pushes them all aside, still dragging Ryeowook by the wrist to the little closet he calls a bedroom. Kyuhyun is sitting on the mattress on the floor, eyes red and cheeks streaked with tears and he looks completely devastated and Ryeowook snatches his arm from Henry's grasp and throws his arms around Kyuhyun, just holding him, and Kyuhyun breaks._

_"R-R-Ryeowook... they k-k-k-killed Ahra..." Kyuhyun breathes in hiccupping gasps, and it takes Ryeowook everything he has not to start crying too. He needs to be strong for Kyuhyun. "My s-s-s-sister, I c-c-came home from singing and she was d-d-dead and I s-saw someone sneaking out the b-back, b-but one of the neighbors saw me with her and they think I d-d-did it. Wook-k-kie, I didn't kill my sister!"_

_"Shhh, of course you didn't," Ryeowook soothes comfortingly, when in reality he has no idea what he's going to do. He knows full well that his uncle put someone up to this -- he wouldn't sully his hands doing it himself -- but he doesn't know how to fix this._

_“I’m so sorry, Kyuhyun,” He whispers as the other man sobs in his arms, falling to pieces as his shoulders shake, clinging to Ryeowook like a lifeline and gasping into his shirt. “This is all my fault, I’m so, so very sorry.”_

_He hears the shrieking of slaves outside and his heart drops, eyes going wide as he realizes it’s the guard, having surely been alerted to those who saw Kyuhyun and his supposed murder, banging on each bedroom and ousting everyone inside in search of him. He begins to tremble as well and realizes his uncle’s plan, suddenly feeling as if he’s drowning and there’s no escape._

_Suddenly Kyuhyun pulls away from him and frames his face in his hands, gaze fierce as he speaks as if to make sure Ryeowook hears every word that he’s saying to him, wanting him to remember them, even if he forgets him._

_“Ryeowook, listen to me,” The knocking has reached their door and tears begin to stream down Ryeowook’s face, Kyuhyun’s thumbs quickly wiping them away as he speaks softly. “This wasn’t your fault, I don’t blame you for anything, so please, please don’t carry this on your own.”_

_“Kyuhyun,” Ryeowook whispers, and it’s all he has time for, the door ripping open and the guards yanking Kyuhyun away from him, clapping him in irons and quickly dragging him out of the room and down the passage, another guard picking Ryeowook up as he kicks and struggles, no doubt to bring him to his uncle. It all passes in a blur for him though, Kyuhyun’s words echoing inside his head, still resonating even when he’s held by his arms by the guards mere hours later, Kyuhyun standing proudly and without fear in his eyes on top a stool beneath the gallows, noose hanging around his neck as the crowd gathers for an execution, trial having been barely a blink._

_"Watch," Ryeowook's uncle sneers from beside him. "Watch and learn, my nephew. You should know by now not to cross me. Perhaps this will be your lesson served." A crowd has gathered, roaring nasty jeers at the supposed murderer, and he and Ryeowook, along with the guards restraining him, stand at the very forefront. Ryeowook wants to clench his eyes and ears shut, but he refuses to be a coward. Not when Kyuhyun needs him to be strong._

_Ryeowook wants to scream, wants to cry, wants to spit on his uncle's shoes, but the guard has a meaty hand clamped over his mouth and so the only noise that escapes him are pitiful whimpers to accompany the steady stream of tears._

_The executioner clears his throat and the crowd settles enough to hear him read the verdict. "Today, the above named individual, one Cho Kyuhyun, has been tried and convicted by a jury of his peers of the crime of murder of his sister, Cho Ahra."_ Jury of his peers, _Ryeowook thinks bitterly._ What a fallacy. _But the executioner continues the reading over his thoughts. "He has hereby been setenced to be hanged by the neck until dead, as so declared by his Lordship Kim. So say we all on this fourth day of June." He rolls up the scroll and turns to Kyuhyun, who is being given one last blessing by a priest. "Any last words, boy?"_

_Kyuhyun looks right down to where Ryeowook is standing, completely ignoring the look of hatred the Lord sends his way. Ryeowook's eyes widen as he sees nothing but love in Kyuhyun's eyes, love and determination. "Don't blame yourself, Ryeowook. It's not your fault." He smiles gently, sadly, and Ryeowook knows that it's his way of saying_ I love you _one final time without getting the young man into even more trouble. Even in his final moments, Kyuhyun is still worried about Ryeowook more than himself. Ryeowook's tears begin with renewed despair, and he struggles now even harder against his captors, and the Lord angrily nods at the executioner._

_The bag is placed over Kyuhyun's head, one final goodbye in the smile Kyuhyun sends him, and Ryeowook is yelling behind the hand. The crowd is getting restless again as the executioner reaches for the lever that will drop the platform and stool out from beneath Kyuhyun. Ryeowook bites down on the hand over his face, the guard dropping his hand with a pained yelp, but it's too late._

_The platform drops and Ryeowook's screams echo through the plaza even louder than the racous crowd. Kyuhyun spasms and squirms in the air uncontrollably as his body instinctively fights for air, and then what seems like a century but is probably only a split second later, he stills, swinging slightly. Ryeowook's legs go out underneath him but the guards hold him up, and his uncle backhands him for acting in such a way in public, and then proceeds to drag him back home and lock him up in his room again._

_Not ten minutes later, the door inches open and Henry sidles his way in, seeing Ryeowook so distraught on the bed. He carefully sits down beside him and pulls him into a comforting hug. Ryeowook doesn't even have the energy to cry anymore._

“But he was wrong,” Ryeowook whispers hoarsely, bombarded by the memories of that painful day, tears streaming down his cheeks and choking back sobs, wanting nothing more than to curl into a tiny ball and die. “It was my fault, all of it, if I wasn’t so damn selfish like I always am then none of that would have happened, he’d still be alive, _it’s all my_ -”

“Ryeowook,” Jongwoon says gently, wanting nothing more than to gather the man into his arms and wipe away his tears, looking so fragile and broken at that moment, cursing the binds around his hands for preventing him from doing so, settling for gripping his wrist, trying to bring Ryeowook back to the present. “It was _not_ your fault, he wouldn’t have told you such unless he truly believed that it wasn’t, so stop blaming yourself.”

That only seems to break open a new dam inside of Ryeowook, and Jongwoon pulls him closer, Ryeowook’s face buried in his neck and tears sliding warm against his, Ryeowook’s bound hands trying to curl into Jongwoon shirt as he whispers his thanks like a mantra, interrupted by small sobs. Henry simply watches on sadly, heart breaking all over again for his friend and Sungmin looking much the same, burying his face into Henry’s shirt.

Ryeowook's sobs finally subside into hiccups as Jongwoon nuzzles into his hair, the only amount of comfort he can provide besides the murmurs of _Everything is going to be okay, Wook, stop your crying now_. Sungmin is crying silently too, heart breaking for Ryeowook, Henry holding his hands trying to comfort him too. The combination of the agony of Ryeowook's tale and the fear of what the future holds for them weighs heavily on all their hearts. 

The wagon suddenly pitches to a stop, jerking them all uncomfortably forward, and Sungmin sits up warily as they hear the guards shifting around up front and to the side of the wagon. One of them appears at the back, nose curling up in disgust when he sees them huddling together. "Piss break," he says curtly, letting the door down and taps his foot impatiently when they don't move. "Well, hurry up!"

"We kind of can't walk with our feet bound," Ryeowook snaps, not in the mood to deal with the ignorance of the guards. "You'll have to untie us anyway, unless you want to stand there and help us relieve ourselves."

The guard looks horrified at the prospect of having to do something so dirty, but eyes them warily. "Fine. But one at a time. I'm not going to risk you trying to slip away." Henry glares at the man, glancing down at Sungmin before clearing his throat.

"Two at a time," he demands, feeling stronger than he ever has before when dealing with someone of supposed higher status than he. He knows that in the guards company he is little more than a piece of dirt, such is the life of a slave, but he will not stand there and let them bully him on account of something as meaningless as a title. "Sungmin is still recovering, and since you won't let us have the medicine from our possessions that you confiscated I need to go with him and make sure he doesn't collapse." 

The guard laughs cruelly, looking at Henry incredulously, as if taken aback that a _slave_ would even dare to try and give him an order, snorting in disgust at the way he scoots closer to the sick man, curling his lip back.

“Who are you to tell me what to do, slave,” He sneers seeing Henry wilt only slightly at his words, determination still alight in his eyes. “Do you take me for a fool? It will be one at a time, and if he collapses then so be it, he’s not the one that we were sent for, his life matters not to me. Now get up, boy, you’ll be first.”

“No,” Henry says fiercely, disregarding status completely because even if he knows that Sungmin is stubborn and strong to a fault, he’ll surely collapse if made to walk on his own after being confined without medication for so long. “I refuse, I will not go without him. I’ll soil myself in this cart if you don’t let us go in twos, and then you’ll have to deal with having to clean the cart when we get to the Capitol too. You don’t want that on your head, do you, _sir_?”

The guard is in front of him in a second, metal clad hand swiftly backhanding Henry across his cheek, snarl on his lips as the young man bites back a cry, tasting copper in his mouth as his teeth break through the fragile skin. Sungmin’s eyes are wide and shocked, seemingly frozen as they take on a furious tone, wanting nothing more than to kill the guard in that moment.

“Don’t touch him,” Jongwoon growls from the other side of the cart, eyes narrowed at the guard and the rest gathered look at him in surprise, the guard having not expected anyone to speak up after that. “If you need someone to hit, then make it me, but don’t you dare touch him. He’s with a sick man, do you have no compassion?”

"And why are you concerned?" the guard retorts, amusement coloring his tone as blood drips down the side of Henry's mouth. "I don't know who you are, I don't know where you come from but you're going to learn that slaves have no worth here. They're just toys," he sneers, grabbing a fist full of Henry's hair and dragging him to his feet, a pained cry escaping his lips and Sungmin protesting loudly. The guard puts a foot down on Sungmin's chest, preventing him from standing up, lips curling in a wicked smile. "They're meant to be played with."

Jongwoon _does_ get to his feet, coming to level height with the guard and giving him a menacing glare. "Where I come from, all men are equal in the eyes of L... in the eyes of God. Now I suggest you let him go and untie us so that we can get this cart moving again and get to wherever we're going. I highly doubt your master will be too happy if you don't arrive on time." His eyes narrow and he silently dares the guard to cross him. If he wants, he'll hold the caravan up for hours, a day even if he can manage.

The guard scoffs and pushes Henry down. "Fine, two at a time. But you'll each have two minutes instead of five, any more than that we'll drag you out with your pants around your ankles. Wouldn't that be embarrassing," he snickers, grabbing Ryeowook by the collar and hoisting him to his feet and shoving him unceremoniously out of the cart. Ryeowook trips, his feet still bound, and falls face first into the mud, hands tied too tight to be able to catch himself as he falls.

“Bastard,” Jongwoon growls, having half a mind to simply tackle the guard and take his chances with his arms and legs bound, when he sees Ryeowook raise his head from the mud and shake it quickly, trying to communicate that it isn’t worth the effort as the guard smirks and takes the rope from Jongwoon’s feet, grinning sadistically up at him as he does so.

“You talk big,” The guard says as he pushes Jongwoon out as well, hands finally unbound as he rushes over to Ryeowook and picks him up, the other man spatting mud onto the ground and grimacing as Jongwoon picks him up, unbinding him, wincing slightly. He murmurs softly to the other man and apologizes quickly, wincing himself at Ryeowook’s now mud stained clothes. “But you’re really nothing but a coward, aren’t you?”

Jongwoon freezes in helping Ryeowook up and has to take a deep breath, words ringing eerily familiar and striking a chord in him, gritting his teeth and turning back at the guard with angry eyes about to disregard everything and take his chances with a fight when Ryeowook starts to drag him to the tree line, other guards watching them intently.

"Don't," he hisses tiredly, taking the opportunity to stretch his chaffed ankles and wrists before hastily undoing his belt, Jongwoon turning his back and doing the same. "Don't bait them. And whatever you do don't let them bait you. You _aren't_ a coward, Jongwoon. If you were a coward, Henry and I would be dead."

"Yes, well," Jongwoon starts to reply, too exhausted and brow-beaten to be embarrassed that he and Ryeowook are half naked within feet of each other and within the vicinity of about fifty other strangers just beyond sight on the path. "I'm not about to just stand there and take their torment, you heard what he was saying about Henry. That isn't right and I won't stand for it, cowardice be damned." He's trembling, though he's fairly certain that he's trembling in fury and not in fear. He angrily finishes up, pulling his pants up and redoing the belt. 

Then there's a soft hand on his shoulder turning him around and he is surprised to see Ryeowook's face so close, expression exhausted and defeated, but he smiles softly, pressing a light kiss to Jongwoon's lips, and he feels some of that anger slip away, his mood calmed slightly. "I love you, Jongwoon," Ryeowook whispers, "and nothing they can say will sway my opinion of you. You're one of the bravest men I know, and a better man than all of them combined. Don't waste your energy on hating them."

“Ryeowook,” Jongwoon whispers, eyes wide as he feels a surge of warmth in his heart, wanting nothing more than to simply gather Ryeowook in his arms and hold him tight, because really it should be him comforting Ryeowook, but instead tries to send as much warmth and love as he can through his gaze, not wanting to get them in any more trouble than they are already sure to be in. “Thank you.”

Ryeowook simply smiles lightly back, a bit sadly as he sees how taken aback Jongwoon was by his words, truly having meant everything he’d said. He wants to say them over and over again until Jongwoon believes him, kissing away every insecurity, but instead settles to try and lend him all the strength he can, reaching down to squeeze his hand. 

“Your time is up, filth,” They jump as they hear a guard sneer, lip curled back in disgust as he sees them come back, two guards immediately binding them again and all but tossing them into the cart again, Jongwoon hissing as he trips squarely on the floor, landing hard against the edge as Ryeowook slams into his side, apologizing weakly. “The next of you now, come on, we don’t have the time to waste. His Lordship was very specific in wanting his heir back as soon as possible, there’s an important date coming up.”

Jongwoon doesn't miss the way Ryeowook cringes at the mention of this so-called important date -- clearly Ryeowook knows what fate awaits them in the Capitol -- but his mind is quickly drawn away by the cries of Henry as Sungmin limps down to the tree line, the fisherman having been tossed just as roughly out of the cart as the other two, mouthful of dirt and now damp clothes doing nothing for his condition. 

The guards are rougher with Henry than the others, storming into the trees barely a minute after they've gone in and dragging him (and subsequently Sungmin) out as he scrambles to do his belt with both arms in the tight grips of the men. They rebind Sungmin first, and Jongwoon and Ryeowook struggle to catch him so that he doesn't slam into the side of the wagon. When they rebind Henry, they also strap a gag around his mouth, to 'remind him of his place.' They toss him in and slam the door shut, giving them one last glare before the caravan sets off again.

Sungmin is shaking, sick and tired, but somehow he finds the strength to pull Henry so that he sits upright, before steadily working at the knot that holds the gag in place. Humiliated tears stream down his face, his eyes clenched close and not wanting to look at anyone. Sungmin finally gets the gag loose and slips it over Henry's head, before looping his bound arms over his shoulders and giving Henry the biggest hug he can muster. Ryeowook and Jongwoon look on pitifully, not wanting to disturb them. Henry leans back into Sungmin's chest, whispering his thanks.

The rest of the night passes in silence.

***

They’re herded like cattle out of the cart when they finally arrive at the Capitol, the cart having come to a stop outside of a rather extravagant manor. They’re legs are unbounded after Ryeowook points out that it’s not feasible to expect them to walk when they can barely even move, even when sitting down.

Jongwoon feels the uncomfortable press of a spear in between his shoulder blades as he walks behind Ryeowook, looking worriedly to the front of the line where Sungmin barely manages to stumble along, growing even weaker in the past day, wet clothes slowly bringing the shivers that previously wracked his frame back, but eyes remaining determined as he trudges along, all but shoved through the large open doors.

Ryeowook looks so resigned and lost that it nearly physically hurts Jongwoon, knowing how close the other man is to the edge and hoping he can last just a little bit more before breaking completely, praying that Ryeowook knows that he can rely on him when he does.

“My Lord!” One of the guards calls, rushing in front of all of them to kneel in the center of what must be the entrance room, an older man in fine clothes looking unsurprised at the sudden flood of people in his home, merely nodding at the guard to continue in what he has to say. “We have found your nephew and the escaped slave, and this was the bunch that they were traveling with. Please excuse our lateness, they were an unruly bunch.”

"I can imagine, if I know my nephew," the Lord says, his nose tipping upward slightly in disgust at the state of the party before him. The four of them are filthy and shivering cold, standing pitifully in the foyer. "But why, pray tell, are they bound? I told you to bring back my heir alive and unharmed, and yet you have him and his... friends, tied as prisoners." 

The guard at the front of the group looks up and gapes. "But my Lord, they would have tried to escape had we not bound them! We were only acting to make haste, sir." 

The Lord chuckles humorlessly. "If you were worried that their predicted escape attempt would have succeeded, perhaps I need to look into searching for more capable men." The guard looks horrified but dares not to speak out against Lord Kim, who rolls his eyes. "Well untie them, you fool!" The guard leaps up and makes a beeline for Ryeowook first, unwinding the coil of rope and Ryeowook gives him the most threatening glare that he can muster as he hurries down the line, undoing the binds around Henry's wrist last. 

"I have done as you instructed, my Lord," the guard says when he's finished, kneeling toward the old man. 

"Good. Now leave us, I would like to have a word with my nephew and his company." The guard nods without a word, ushering the rest of his squad out the door with him, leaving the Lord alone with the rest of them. He clears his throat, asserting his position without so much as a single word. "How good it is to see you, Ryeowook. I trust that you've been well?"

"I was doing quite well until your henchmen stormed in my front door," Ryeowook replies curtly, glaring at his uncle and making it clear that he does _not_ return the sentiment. "And quite honestly, I would be better if I were not standing here right now."

Lord Kim merely chuckles, much to Ryeowook's irritation. "I admire your sharp honesty, my dear nephew. You remind me so much of my brother." He sighs, clearly mocking Ryeowook, whose scowl only deepens. The Lord ignores this and turns his attention to Jongwoon and Sungmin, pointedly ignoring Henry, whose head hangs so low that his chin touches his chest. "You will have to forgive the guards. They do have good intentions, if not the sense to act like civilised men. Welcome to my home, dear guests, it is a pleasure to have you. Ryeowook, aren't you going to introduce them?"

“Uncle, this is Jongwoon and Sungmin,” Ryeowook says hesitantly, the look in the Lord’s eye worrying him, and he hopes that he doesn’t already have some scheme to get the two out of the picture, his heart dropping to his stomach. “I met them while I was traveling, they knew nothing of my past so please do not pin any of this onto them.”

“No surnames?” The Lord asks curiously, eyeing Jongwoon and Sungmin with sharp eyes, as trying to dissect them where they stand. “And oh? You seem to care about them a great deal, as much as you do for that little slave boy there. Are you sure they are mere traveling companions to you?”

“Yes,” Ryeowook says adamantly, eyes almost unwillingly sliding to Jongwoon out of habit, terribly nervous and worried that he’s somehow been caught, taking Jongwoon’s slight nod as strength to continue, though not noticing the raise of his uncle’s eyebrow. “They have nothing to do with this whole succession mess, so please just let the two of them go. And that _boy’s_ name is Henry, I wish you would refer to him as such.”

The Lord’s laughter is barking as he looks down at them, a slight sneer on his face. “Please, he’s just a slave and shall be referred to as such, you know the rules, Ryeowook.” A certain gleam takes his eye as he notices Jongwoon’s continued worried glances towards Ryeowook, the way he wrings his hands together. “And if they are merely so, then you should have no trouble agreeing to your marriage now that you’ve had your little adventure, now will you? Jinseon has been waiting for you all this time after all, why should you make her wait any longer?”

Jongwoon and Sungmin's eyes widen and Ryeowook straightens up, determination clear in his gaze as he meets his uncle's gaze. "If I've told you once, I've told you a million times, I'm not marrying her. I do not love her, nor does she love me. I will not stand here and let you bully me into a decision I will regret for the rest of my life on account of your greed."

Another fake sigh escapes the Lord's lips. "Ungrateful as ever, I see. I have done nothing if it was not to make your life easier, and you won't even let me assure you a comfortable future with a good wife. I even saved the little slave runt when you asked me to, though now I'm beginning to regret it--"

"No," Ryeowook interrupts, and though a furious gleam lights up his uncle's eyes he does not back down. "No, you did _not_ save Henry," he says, emphasizing Henry's name, even as the youngest boy cowers into Sungmin's side. "I may have asked you to bring him home, and you may have agreed, but you did _not_ save him. You _paid_ for him, bought him as though he were milk about to expire on the shelf. _I_ saved him."

"And as for doing everything for my benefit, that is the most laughable thing I have ever heard. You basically stole me from my own parents because you were unable to sire an heir of your own. You're too much of a greedy bastard to share your wealth to those who are less fortunate because you don't want any of it to leave the family name." Ryeowook is panting heavily by the time he finishes his tirade, daring his Uncle to say anything in retort to that. The Lord turns an ugly shade of purple in anger, but quickly controls himself in front of the people who are not his family. Ryeowook snorts -- it's always been about appearances in the upper class, which is part of the reason why he wanted to get away from it all.

"It seems I will have to have a private discussion with you on the matter," the Lord says finally, voice dangerously even. He turns to Jongwoon and Sungmin, an obviously fake courteous smile plastered onto his face. "I apologize that you had to see that. Sometimes family business can be an ugly affair. I'll have one of the servants show you to the guest rooms where you can wash up and change into some fresh clothes."

The Lord then turns to Henry, the fakeness dripping away into a loathesome look. "As for you, you are to return to the slave quarters and stay there until I send for you. Despite what Ryeowook seems to think, you are first and foremost _my_ slave and so your loyalty should belong to me. I am most disappointed in your actions." Henry keeps his head bowed, not saying anything and taking the verbal tongue lashing. 

"If you'll excuse my rudeness," Sungmin suddenly says, and all four heads snap to him, even Henry's. "I would kindly ask that you allow Henry to stay with me tonight. I've been rather ill lately and he's done a good job seeing to it that I recover." His eyes sparkle with his ulterior motive, but Henry's eyes widen in fear. He knows the cruel measures the Lord can take when he is crossed.

The Lord laughs heartily, however, though his mockery still shines through. "Nonsense, you are an honored guest. I won't have you dealing with a slave like him, though if you would like I can have one of the servants prepare some medicine for you."

Sungmin smiles back sweetly, the only thing to betray his irritation is the way his temple twitches. "Forgive my rudeness, but where I'm from, slavery is not only frowned upon, it's illegal. You say we are your guests, so as a gracious host it wouldn't do to disrespect the guests, right? I humbly request that you allow Henry to stay in my room tonight."

The Lord’s lips twitch into a frown as he tries to hid his irritation, finally nodding reluctantly and nearly sneering at Henry, looking at Sungmin with some amount of disdain as he agrees to the man’s wishes.

“If you insist, honored guest,” He says lightly, his eyes belying his thoughts as Henry looks on incredulously, having fully expected to spend his night in the solitude of the slave quarters and panicking over Sungmin, fully convinced the man must be able to work miracles if he can convince the Lord of allowing him such a thing. “We shall respect your customs and allow this boy to continue to care for you tonight, until tomorrow when he will need to be questioned of recent events, of course.”

“Of course,” Sungmin bites out, almost ready to protest that but knowing he’s gained some kind of victory in having Henry for one night at least, and isn’t sure he has the strength left in him to argue any more, if he’s honest with himself. “Thank you, your Lordship.”

The Lord nods grudgingly, sighing lightly as he had wanted to send Henry to the dungeons at least, but appeasing his so called guests takes importance, even if he has a sneaking suspicion about at least one of them.

“It is a small request, easily granted,” He waves off, nearly pompously before attempting to shoo them from the room, eyes taking a hard glint as he turns them back to his nephew. “Now then, the servants will show you to your quarters. I need to speak with my nephew in private, if you are willing to respect that. We have many matters that need to be discussed.”

"Come on," Henry mutters, latching on to Sungmin and Jongwoon and dragging them away, Jongwoon wanting to protest but meeting Ryeowook's eye and he clearly says _go_ with just a look, not even having to mouth it in order for him to understand. He resigns to let Henry lead them down the hallway, the younger boy shooing away any of the other slaves who scurry forward to help the guests and pointedly ignoring the dirty looks of hatred they send his way as they get to the upper levels of the manner. 

The hallways all look the same, and Sungmin hopes he'll have Henry to guide them everywhere because he knows he'll get lost. It seems like forever that he finally throws a door open and shoves the two inside, shutting the door firmly behind him. He looks up to Sungmin and then to Jongwoon, and it startles both of them the look of pure fear in his eyes. "Henry...?" Sungmin asks. 

"I don't know how you managed to get the master--"

"Lord Kim," Jongwoon interrupts automatically. "The only master of man is Luzo. Don't call him your master, Henry, you're better than that."

"Right," Henry mutters. "I don't know how you got _Lord Kim_ to agree to let me stay with you but it's a good thing you did because I can warn you. Tomorrow, after I leave, lock the door behind me. Do not open it for anyone other than me, or Ryeowook. Not even the other servants," he says breathlessly. 

“Why?” Jongwoon questions, having a sinking feeling that he knows and not wanting to play this game, but even more worried for Ryeowook, the word _marriage_ running through his head over and over again, nearly making him shake with a combination of fear and anger, feeling completely adrift in a sea of problems he knows not how to fix.

“Because you can’t trust them,” Henry says, a tad desperately and looking around as if he expects to disappear any moment, even taking a step back as Sungmin makes to move towards him. “You cannot trust _anyone_ here except for myself and Ryeowook, you never know who is working for his Lordship, and I know that he’ll not want to have anyone extra that even poses a slight threat to his various....affairs.”

Sungmin’s eyes take on some hurt when Henry steps back from him, but then he realizes that the younger man is absolutely terrified, shoulders shaking and eyes wide, looking genuinely convinced that he and Jongwoon are going to die as soon as they leave his sight.

“Henry,” He says soothingly, ignoring the deep seated ache in his bones that makes him want to collapse onto one of the beds and moving slowly towards the other man, trying to calm him down and wincing at the desolate look on his friend’s face. “We won’t talk to anyone, we swear, so please calm down, I promised that I’d never leave you, didn’t I?”

Henry leans back against the door, his eyes going wide as he realizes that he's pushing away even the closest person to him, and he slides down it, tears beginning to stream down his face. "I just... the servants here, they all hate me. They're bitter because I was assigned to Ryeowook most of my life and he treats me well. I'm so afraid that they'll try to use you, both of you, to get back at me. It... wouldn't be the first time. Ryeowook's receieved many death threats in his lifetime, and I would be willing to bet more than half of them are from the slaves."

"I'm just... so, so scared..." he sobs, pulling his knees up to his chest and burying his face in his hands. Sungmin sinks down beside him and gathers Henry in his arms, cooing softly and assuring the poor boy that nothing was going to happen to them. Jongwoon heaves a sigh and lets his legs go out underneath him, plopping heavily on the bed, not caring that he is filthy and hasn't bathed in days. 

He feels lost and he hates it, wanting to cover his ears to block out the sound of Henry’s sobs, unable to take much more stress before he himself breaks, worrying gnawing deep within his heart the longer it is that Ryeowook is in conference with his uncle, and he feels about ready to cry himself, the deep seated feeling that something is terrible is going to happen still sitting heavily in his stomach.

Sungmin meanwhile has his hands full with Henry, rocking the man back and forth in his arms and pressing his face into his chest, murmuring softly and keeping one hand on the younger man’s head to softly stroke his hair, hoping he’s able to offer him some comfort as the soft cries escaping Henry’s lips break his heart, and fill him with anger towards anyone who would push Henry to the edge like this, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head.

None of them are able to say much, but Sungmin manages to get Henry to move to the bed so that they aren't able to be overheard, sitting so close to the door. Henry finally stops crying after what seems an age, resorting to just clinging to Sungmin as though he might disappear, and Jongwoon is grateful because as much as he cares for the kid, he is at his wit's end and was _this_ close to yelling at him to be grateful that he has Sungmin. 

It must have been two hours later, when the doorknob finally rattles. All three of them shoot upward, senses on high alert until they hear a soft voice calling through the door, "It's just me, let me in." Henry and Sungmin both make to stand but Jongwoon is off the mattress in a heartbeat, unlocking the door and practically flinging it open to reveal a thoroughly brow-beaten looking Ryeowook.

Ryeowook looks as if he’s been through a war, face haggard and looking so defeated that it sends ice through Jongwoon’s heart, quickly pulling Ryeowook inside and taking a moment to simply hold him, Ryeowook all but falling into him for a long moment. Ryeowook’s hands fist in his shirt before slowly pushing Jongwoon away, and Jongwoon knows from looking in his eyes that he isn’t going to like what he’s going to say, the sadness emanating from them as he pastes a smile on his face.

“Ryeowook?” Henry asks softly from where he sits with Sungmin, taking in his friend’s appearance with some fear, as if knowing what it to come. Jongwoon looks shocked as Ryeowook moves away from him entirely, facing the wall for a moment before turning back to them, eyes closed. “What happened?”

When Ryeowook opens his eyes, he plasters on the most heart-breakingly forced and painful smile and now Jongwoon _knows_ something horrible happened with his uncle, it is the only thing that would explain the way Ryeowook is acting, and he feels the contents of his stomach rise to his throat as Ryeowook begins to cry, even though his smile stays on his face.

"Guess what guys? I'm getting married in a week. Aren't you happy for me?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An impossible situation with no solution in sight, barely a reprieve offered.

_Ryeowook has to restrain a sigh of relief as Jongwoon reads the look in his eyes and allows Henry to drag he and Sungmin out, grateful that he’s finally gone and safe, at least momentarily, from the wrath that his uncle is sure to unleash once they’re in private._

_He spares one last glance backwards and sees the moment of panic cross Henry’s face and realizes that the other slaves will not take so kindly to his return, and scowls when he remembers the jeers sent towards the younger man over the years, simply for being his slave. He hopes Henry can manage to hold it together until he can escape to Jongwoon and Sungmin’s room, but fears for that as the doors slam shut behind them, turning to face his fate._

_“You ungrateful brat,” The Lord growls the moment the doors slide shut, all semblance of courtesy gone now that he’s alone with his nephew, eyes cold as he gazes down on Ryeowook. “You can never just do as I say, can you? Your will is not your own, it belongs to me, who else do you think rescued you from that hole of debt my foolish brother dug himself into? It is your duty as my heir to marry and create more heirs, don’t think I can’t see what’s between you and that man. You think you would have learned last time.”_

_Ryeowook's eyes narrow, and he draws himself to his full height (not impressive, but it shows his uncle that he will not back down this time around). "You do not scare me, Uncle. I was a child last time, young and naïve. I can see right through you. You think you rescued me but in reality you and I both know that you're using me for your own gain, just as you use every person you've ever come across. I'll bet you even used your own mother one time or another."_

_The crack of skin echoes loud in the parlor as the Lord backhands Ryeowook, hard enough to bust Ryeowook's lip. But the younger man doesn't even flinch, turning his defiant gaze back to meet his uncle's, not even bothering to wipe the blood from his swelling lip. "How dare you speak that way to me, boy. I don't see why you are so impossible, you've known all your life that this is what is expected of you. You will marry Hwang Jinseon whether you like it or not."_

_Ryeowook snorts. "You think ordering me to do as you so desire will work anymore? I don't think so. I told you, I'm not marrying her. I don't even know why it's so important to you anyway, the Hwangs aren't even that wealthy."_

_"In coin, no, you are right, they don't have a lot," the Lord laughs arrogantly. "They can't even afford to pay a traditional dowry. But they have_ land _, land that is mineral rich. Those minerals are riches in the rough. Their expanse of land stretches from here to the Port Town, and I'll be damned if I don't take advantage of that."_

_Ryeowook's stomach suddenly drops. "You plan on taking their land so that you can_ mine _? You don't even have a team of experienced miners. Besides, all the diamond quarries are to the north, what kind of minerals could possibly bring in that much coin? You're a selfish bastard chasing a bread trail, but I didn't think you would be a stupid selfish bastard."_

_"My dear nephew, how inexperienced in the trade you are," the Lord sneers, his eyes alight with menace. "I'm not mining for diamonds. No, diamonds indeed are beautiful, but they aren't as... how should I put this..._ illustrious _as I am looking for. I'm on a treasure hunt, dear Ryeowook, and I'm hunting lueuror."_

_Ryeowook’s eyes widen as he realizes what his uncle means, the location of the brunt of the lueuror resting right in the heart of Jongwoon and Sungmin’s village and its surrounding area, any kind of modern mining sure to go right through the center and destroy it completely._

_“You can’t do that,” Ryeowook hisses, and his mind races as to what he can do to stop this, knowing nothing will sway his uncle once his mind is set, even the loss of hundreds of lives in the process, knowing the man will snort and simply say _they’re just drops in the ocean_. “I refuse, you cannot mine there.”_

_The Lord snorts and looks at Ryeowook with some amusement, eyebrow raised. “Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do, nephew? And why is this so important to you, it is just simple mining,” His lips curl in a smirk and he smiles at his nephew, wondering how this particular detail has him so worked up, working to use it to his advantage. “Unless there is something special that resides for you there?”_

_Ryeowook hesitates and realizes he’s trapped, and knows that he would never be able to forgive himself if he was the reason that Jongwoon and Sungmin’s families perished, for even if they harbor ill feelings towards them at the moment they are still their family and those they grew up with, unable to deal such a death sentence._

_“Well?” The Lord questions, seeing his nephew falter, grinning as he sees he has him caught, words obviously having struck some kind of chord in the man. “Aren’t you going to answer me, nephew? It’s rude to keep me waiting, why is the simple matter of mining so important to you?”_

_"You want to destroy the land for your selfish gains," Ryeowook quips, quickly coming up with something to explain away his reasoning, as there is no way he will allow his uncle to hold the lives of hundreds of people over his head. If his uncle would believe him about a hidden colony of people below the surface anyway. "Your grubby hands and swollen wallet is not worth turning hundreds of acres of wood into a wasteland. I won't allow it."_

_The Lord snorts, knowing he's gotten Ryeowook right where he wants him. "Since when did you become a tree hugger, Ryeowook? Have you even seen lueuror in it's rough form, let alone in polished pieces? It's self luminescent, absolutely beautiful and very popular in the markets." He crosses his arm, sure to have leverage over his nephew._

_"As a matter of fact I _have_ seen lueuror in it's rough form," Ryeowook snaps, "and you're right, it's gorgeous. It makes up the beauty of the world around us. I won't stand there and let you destroy that." He is absolutely unmovable, the image of Jongjin standing over him when he was in the well burned into his head, even the memory of Sungjin, unpleasant though it was, giving him strength to stand up to his selfish uncle. The people who meant so much to the ones he cares for... he will not let them die so easily. _

_"You are so much like your father it is frightening sometimes," the Lord mutters impatiently, crossing his arms. "My brother was stubborn like you, too. It must run in the family, because so am I. I have already accepted the Hwangs' land deed as their dowry. Come this time a week from now, you will be wed, if I have to lock you in your room again to keep you from slipping away again."_

_His fingers clenched at his side as the Lord continues speaking, Ryeowook finally snaps, raising his fist faster than he can recognize that he's even moving, his fist aimed for the old man's nose. Unfortunately, the Lord is faster than he anticipated, and before he can land a blow the man catches his fist and spins him around, holding his hand tightly behind his back and pressing steady pressure upward. Ryeowook cries out in pain -- if his uncle presses any higher his shoulder will break._

_“Let’s make a deal then, shall we, nephew?” He hisses into Ryeowook’s ear, daringly pressing Ryeowook’s arm higher as he gasps in pain, new blood flowing from his lip as he bites it too hard. “Let’s say I decide to have a change of heart on mining for lueuror, would that put you in the mood for wedding bells?”_

_Ryeowook stays silent, reluctant to agree for a split second, unsure on rather his uncle is planning something besides this supposed agreement, this insurance to keep him from running away. He’s about to answer when more words are spoken lowly to him, making his eyes widen in fear and terror, the worry that had sat in his stomach for his entire meeting with his uncle suddenly wanting to come up as bile in his throat, struggling harder._

_“Or maybe the life of your little lover?” The Lord whispers, chuckling as Ryeowook freezes, knowing that he has him trapped. “I couldn’t help but notice that raven black hair of his. The only people who had that tint were those exiled, isn’t that so? If I remember correctly from the ancient texts, any found exile was to be executed on the spot. Wouldn’t it be a shame if that information were to be leaked to the public? I think a stoning would be appropriate for his crimes.”_

_“You wouldn’t dare,” Ryeowook struggles against his grip, desperately trying to get away and calm his racing heart, trying to force himself to see logic still, any escape from this argument. “You can’t do this to me anymore uncle, I’m not the same person that I was back the, I am no longer a child for you to impose your bidding upon! You cannot simply condemn him, I won’t stand for it! And there will be no mining, I refuse to all of your terms!”_

_"What of his fate then? And his friend, the clever one with the mouth? Your dear little slave friend would be so heartbroken if he learned that he died because of your stubbornness, hmm? Not to mention I haven't even punished him yet for aiding your escape. Maybe I should charge him with kidnapping, leave him in a jail cell with the hardened criminals, would that fit your fancy, Ryeowook?" The Lord keeps talking relentlessly, threats falling from his lips like water from the cliffs and pressing ever harder on Ryeowook's arm._

_Ryeowook feels the corners of the world closing in on him and his uncle chuckles when he finally whimpers, "Stop it, just stop it!" The Lord relinquishes his hold on Ryeowook's arm only slightly, and Ryeowook refuses to give the man the satisfaction of seeing him cry, willing his tears to just hold on until he's alone. "Just leave them alone..."_

_A wolfish grin creeps up the Lord's face as he leans in to see Ryeowook's face, the younger man turning his head away. "So you will marry Jinseon, then."_

_Ryeowook wants to bite his tongue out of his mouth when he whispers in reply, "On the condition that you do_ not _, under any circumstances, mine the land they give you. But I will marry her."_

_The Lord snorts, but there’s a gleam in his eye as Ryeowook’s posture turns defeated, knowing he’s won. “Fine then, if you’re so insistent. But if you even_ think _of running away again, I can promise you that land will be mined unrecognizable, and I will be putting out a warrant to kill your little boy toy on sight, no questions asked. Are we clear, Ryeowook?”_

_“Yes, uncle,” Ryeowook whispers, holding back his angry tears, refusing to shed them in front of this man who has taken everything from him, every shred of happiness he’s ever gained in his life. He blinks quickly and tell himself that no tears will fall until he is completely alone, feeling completely lost in a sea of his own emotions._

_“Fantastic,” The Lord grins, shooing Ryeowook with his hand and feeling triumphant with the broken look covering his nephew’s face, cheerfully sending him out. “You simply must go tell our guests your plans then, I’m sure they’ll be eager to see their traveling companion engage in the holy act of matrimony.”_

_Ryeowook says nothing, simply turning on heel and marching out of the room, eyes focused on the ground, blocking out all noise and nearly running in the direction of the guest’s quarters, heart pounding and still biting back hot tears, breaking more with each step._

_He takes a deep breath before knocking on the door, carefully crafting a smile on his face._

_“Jongwoon,” He whispers before softly calling out his entrance, shoulders trembling. “I’m sorry.”_

...

The looks on their faces are of shocked, wide-eyed and jaws hung so low they could hit the floor, but none more so than Jongwoon. He reels backward as though Ryeowook's words had been a physical blow, his eyes unusually bright. No one speaks for a while, and Ryeowook just stands there, unable to do anything because it's taking all of his strength to hold the smile on his face even as his shoulder trembles. Eventually he can't even do that, and his head droops, hanging so that the tears drip to the floor, the pitter patter echoing loudly in the tense silence. 

Jongwoon feels his heart shatter into a million pieces at Ryeowook's words, unable to find anything to say in return. Here was the first person he had ever loved, had given so much of himself to, pretty much stomping all over his heart, even if it was as unwillingly as it so clearly was. Eventually he manages to get his throat to work, swallowing the lump to talk around it. "Henry... would you show me where the baths are? I want to clean up." His tone is so meek, so defeated, and he curses himself for sounding so pitiful.

Henry nods reluctantly and is about to get off the bed when Sungmin pulls him back down, standing shakily for a moment before turning furious eyes on Ryeowook, looking as angry as the other men have seen him, eyes narrowed and looking at Ryeowook in utter shock. Henry makes to touch his arm but Sungmin shakes it off, crossing until he’s standing in front of Ryeowook, anger settling deep in his stomach as he sees the tears that Jongwoon is trying so hard to hold back shine in his eyes.

“No,” He growls, stepping towards Ryeowook and pulling his chin up with his hand, ignoring the hot tears sliding down the other man’s face, seeing only the complete look of utter heartbreak on Jongwoon’s face in his minds eye, having never seen his friend look so lost and broken in his entire life. “You’re just going to give in like that? Give up on him? I thought you _loved_ him, how dare you just agree to this marriage without considering his feelings, was I wrong about you all along?”

Ryeowook just continues to let his tears stream down his face, mouth working as he tries to come up with an answer for Sungmin, too many threats whirling around in head, ringing in his ears to come up with an answer fast enough. "Say something!" he demands, and when Ryeowook still can say nothing he punches Ryeowook in the jaw, _hard_ , sending him sprawling back into the door. Henry splutters but Jongwoon is still too shocked to say anything in protest, and Ryeowook just picks himself up off the floor and sits there, looking for all the world like he thinks he deserved it. "Why aren't you _saying_ anything?! Damn you, Ryeowook, I trusted you!"

"He threatened you," Ryeowook finally whispers, not meeting any of their eyes. "All of you. Threatened to kill you and Sungmin and threatened to prosecute Henry like he did Kyuhyun and even if he didn't realize it he threatened your families too."

“And I can’t, I won’t let you die,” He whimpers, pulling his legs up to his chest as more tears slip out, giving up trying not to cry and to remain strong, simply breaking down. “Not any of you, you mean too much to me and I’ll be damned if I let him take away your lives, and he would do it too, he’s done it before.”

He raises his head slightly to look at Jongwoon, heart breaking even more as he sees how lost and betrayed the other man looks, feeling the bile rising in his throat and feels like he wants to cry and vomit and die all at once, the other man’s eyes a mask as he pleads into them. “I’m so sorry, Jongwoon.” He whispers, barely able to be heard. “I love you, I really do, so much, and that’s why I can’t risk anything happening to you. I refuse to be selfish again and risk your life, look what happened last time.”

Jongwoon still doesn't say anything, too heartbroken to speak, and Sungmin's eyes narrow at the pitiful man in a lump on the floor, clearly blaming him for breaking his best friend. "You're being selfish now, making decisions without even considering what Jongwoon wants to do! Do you think he would really stand there and let that man kill us so easily? And what do you mean, he threatened our families?"

Ryeowook swallows heavily, not knowing how the two would feel learning what his uncle had planned. Sungmin and Jongwoon may have left their lives behind without a second glance backward, but he would be a fool to even think for a second that they don't still miss their families, Jongwoon especially, seeing how close to his little brother he was. 

"The woman that I am to marry, the only dowry her family is able to give is land, not money. The land they own is an expanse that covers part of the journey between here and the Port Town." Henry's eyes widen as he quickly catches on to what Ryeowook is getting at. "And so to get the money he would be losing on a dowry, he planned to mine. I don't know how you mined in your town but up here, we have dynamite, explosives. And that land... Sungmin, he was going to mine for lueuror. Mine your stars, right where your village is."

Ryeowook sees Sungmin’s mouth open to protest and cuts him off angrily before he can speak, tired of dealing with this interrogation and wanting to just cry, frustration building when they can’t see that he is doing this for their own good, whether any of them like it or not, whether it shatters his own heart to pieces or not.

“It’s not like the kind of mining you do,” He says softly, tears finally slowing a bit as he takes deep breaths and pointedly avoids Jongwoon’s eyes, knowing anything he has to say to him should be in private, with no one but Jongwoon to hear his defense. “The kind my uncle plans for would completely destroy that part of the ground, no doubt killing every single person in your town. He has no regard for human life, this is simply a project that could earn him coin. The only way I could get him to agree to leave it alone was to acquiesce to his demand of my marriage, so don’t you dare presume to tell me I am being selfish Sungmin, if I don’t do this then hundreds of lives will be lost, and yours included.”

"Jongjin would be killed?" Jongwoon finally speaks, his voice no louder than a murmur, and all eyes fall on him. "And Sungjin, too? My parents?" Ryeowook nods, pressing his lips together to keep a sob from escaping, and Sungmin finally sees the gravity of the situation, his eyes going wide as saucers, the anger not entirely slipping away but giving way to horror. 

"Can you see why I had to agree?" Ryeowook pleads desperately. "Your people condemned you but I know you still care for them, deep down. They are the people who raised you, your family. I could barely stand to see Kyuhyun being killed because of me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if their deaths were on my shoulders. So if that's selfish then I don't know what more you expect of me, but I'm doing the best that I can for you. I won't let him..." his words catch in his throat from a hiccupping cry, and he presses the back of his palm to his mouth to collect himself. "He already has my freedom. I won't let him take yours too."

Jongwoon can’t even speak, simply dropping hard to his knees on the floor, tears finally slipping down his cheeks, soft cries escaping his throat as all this is simply too much for him to take anymore, hiding his face in his hands and trying to swallow past the lump in his throat, feeling so lost and adrift, even in his own thoughts, he doesn’t even know what to do with himself.

“Jongwoon,” Ryeowook whispers as he sees the other man completely break down, cries completely breaking his heart and crawling towards him slightly on the floor, wanting to be able to tell him that everything is going to be fine, but having no faith in that himself. He stops moving when he hears a sharp knock on the door.

“Young Master, his Lordship requests you return to your chambers now, you have a meeting with Miss Jinseon in the morning,” A slave’s voice rings through the door and Ryeowook reluctantly gets up, eyes lingering on Jongwoon before he slowly moves towards the door.

“Please,” Jongwoon’s voice is soft and broken, barely a whisper, and Ryeowook knows it’s only for him, stopping him dead in his tracks as his hand reaches for the door knob. “Please don’t leave me.”

"Ryeowook," Henry whispers, eyes bright with tears as he watches the whole hopeless situation fall apart at the seams around them. He wants to help them in any way he can, Ryeowook and even Jongwoon now like a brother to him and he just wants them to be happy. "I can deal with her--"

"No," Ryeowook interrupts, stopping him in his tracks. "Stay with Sungmin tonight. I can't guarantee you'll have another chance like this. Just..." his shoulders are drooped so, so low and he looks so defeated and he just wants to go back to before they got caught, before Sungmin fell off of that ship and keep him from going to work that day, go back to when they were happy. "I'm sorry." 

And he slips out the door, closing it resolutely behind him. He does not look at the slave who is under orders to escort Ryeowook to his room all the way on the other side of the manor, wanting nothing more than to be left alone now and he knows he's hurting Jongwoon by doing this, but it's the only way he knows how to protect them. As soon as he gets to his room he slams the door in the slave's face, the meanest he's ever been to one of a status below him, his heart sinking at the familiar click of the bolt as it slides into place. He leans back against the door, slides down it, and puts his face in his hands, allowing himself to break down completely now.

....

“Jongwoon?” Sungmin ventures hesitantly, moments after Ryeowook has left and worried for his friend, Jongwoon having not moved an inch and simply staring at the ground, hair covering his face. “Are you okay?”

Jongwoon’s laughter is barking and hollow, looking up at Sungmin with red eyes and tear tracks still on his face, expression pained. “Not in the least, do I look very ‘okay’ right now?” Henry cringes as he sees Jongwoon swallow hard, and wishes Ryeowook had let him take care of the slave in his place, time with Sungmin or not, it hurts to see the man he’s known to be so strong throughout their entire time together break. “Could you show me to the bathroom now though, Henry? I need some time to be alone right now, as I’m sure the two of you do.”

Sungmin opens his mouth to protest, wanting to tell Jongwoon that they’re there for him, but Jongwoon simply puts up a hand looking tireder than Sungmin has seen him in a long time. “Please, just leave me alone,” He says softly, and it breaks Sungmin’s heart, wanting nothing more to tell his friend that everything will be okay. “Be glad that the two of you have each other and give me some time to think.”

Henry nods hesitantly, slipping off the bed and helping Jongwoon to his feet. As soon as Jongwoon is standing he shrugs Henry's touch away, just wanting to get clean and be left alone. Henry falters, before turning back to Sungmin. "Lock the door behind me. I'll be back in a minute." Sungmin lets his eyes trail between the broken Jongwoon and the helpless Henry and sighs.

"All right. Just be careful," he says softly. Henry nods and undoes the lock, holding the door open for Jongwoon. Sungmin feels his heart sink through the floor at the way his friend nearly drags himself through the door. "Jongwoon," Sungmin calls, stopping both him and Henry before they disappear beyond the threshold. "No matter what, I'm still here for you." 

"Me too," Henry pipes in, admiration for the eldest of them mixing in with the concern for him. Jongwoon doesn't say anything, doesn't even look at his best friend, but he nods to acknowledge that he heard, and Sungmin doesn't have to hear anything to know Jongwoon is grateful. Sungmin realizes that he just never had to deal with heartbreak of this magnitude before and has to figure out how to deal with it on his own. It doesn't mean he has to like it.

Jongwoon files out of the room, Henry scurrying after him to lead him away, and Sungmin heaves a heavy sigh and flops down on the bed. The ceiling is suddenly very fascinating, and he wonders what Luzo had in mind for his life when he was born. _If you told me a year ago that all of this would happen, I don't think I would have believed you_ , he thinks, addressing his God. "What are we supposed to do now?"

He rests his eyes for a moment and gets no answer in response, wondering if he really expected one in the first place, knowing that nothing in life can ever be so simple and straight forward, though sometimes he wishes it was. He simply lays there until he hears Henry enter the room again, knowing from the soft footsteps that slowly approach his bed, as if still unsure of himself.

“You forgot to lock the door,” Henry chastises him softly, sitting down heavily on the bed beside Sungmin, curling into his side when Sungmin’s arm wraps around his waist to pull him down next to him. “You absolutely _cannot_ do that after I go, Sungmin. And...I left him there, he wouldn’t even let me stay outside to wait for him, insisting that he needed to be alone and that there was nothing I could do.”

Sungmin sighs as he knows this is Jongwoon’s own way of allowing he and Henry the most of the time they have left together, not knowing when he might get the chance to have Henry like this next to him again, and also allowing Jongwoon to try and patch himself back together. He stays silent for a long moment, simply resting his cheek on Henry’s hair, the other man’s hands curling into his shirt as his shaking dies down, the image of Jongwoon falling to the floor and Ryeowook crying, even as he left, still burning on the back of his eyes.

"He'll be okay, right?" Henry whispers, feeling very tired though the sun is only just starting to go down outside the window. "I shouldn't worry about him doing something drastic while he's alone?" Sungmin can't help but chuckle softly at Henry's concern, sounding suddenly very childish. 

"If you mean drown himself in the bath water, no, you shouldn't worry. Jongwoon is a lot stronger than that, though he probably doesn't seem like it now. He just... he's never had this kind of heartache before. The biggest tragedy he ever had was when his dog died. This is something entirely foreign to him and as much as it pains me to see him that way... he has to figure out how to cope. I can't help him do that." Sungmin moves his hand to stroke Henry's hair, the younger man burying his nose further into Sungmin's chest and just clinging to him, relishing the moments that he has with him.

"I don't know what we can do... we're not in a position to do much but we'll figure out something. We'll make it work," Sungmin whispers comfortingly, as though trying to convince himself more than Henry. "Maybe this Jinseon can help us, Ryeowook said she doesn't love him either, maybe we can recruit her help to make this Lord Kim see to reason..."

“I hope so,” Henry murmurs, hoping that Jinseon will see their side of the story and sympathize, maybe they could even work something out so that this entire affair can be avoided, hating having to watch his friends go through so much pain for one man’s selfish desires. “I wish that Ryeowook had stayed though, he and Jongwoon need to talk, he may need to learn how to cope on his own, but I still worry about the both of them.”

Sungmin simply sighs, smoothing Henry’s hair back and smiling wearily at him, thoughts turning as he thinks of anything he could do to help and coming up empty. “And I’m absolutely terrified, but we just have to have faith that everything will work out in the end, there’s nothing we can do for them but hope, now, and lend them all the strength that we can afford to give, they’re going to need it.”

“But what about you, Henry?” Sungmin says softly, burying his face in Henry’s hair and tightening his grip on the other man’s waist, fear gnawing at his chest at the memory of the Lord coldly ordering Henry as nothing but a slave, and his order to speak to him the next day. “Will you be alright, he won’t harm you, will he? What’s going to happen when you have to leave me tomorrow?”

Henry doesn't lift his face to meet Sungmin's concerned look; he doesn't think he'll be able to hold a straight face as he lies. "I'll be fine. I can hold my own against him. After all, I've done it for years," he says unconvincingly, his words muffled in Sungmin's shirt. Sungmin frowns, rolling so that he lies on his back and holding Henry by the shoulders when the younger boy tries to follow. Henry whines, but Sungmin holds steady.

"Henry," he says sternly, and Henry can't meet his eyes. "You know you can tell me anything, right? I will _never_ judge you. If there's something worrying you, please tell me. I want you to tell me the truth." Henry chews his lip uncertainly, and Sungmin tilts his chin up so that he can get a clearer look. "Please, Henry, I... I love you. And I'm really worried about you. I don't want to let you go tomorrow if means I'm sending you into the lion's den." 

Henry's eyes widen at Sungmin's words -- he knows full well that Sungmin loves him, from the way that the older man acts, but this is the first time Sungmin has ever said it to him outright. His eyes begin to water, as if the simple phrase has made the reality of the situation clear, and he starts shaking and Sungmin knows Henry is scared, terrified of what will happen. He presses a gentle kiss to Henry's lips, murmuring "I'm here" against them, and Henry clings tighter to him.

“I’m just so scared,” Henry whispers against Sungmin’s lips, reluctant to move even an inch from the other man, hands fisting tightly in his shirt as traitorous tears escape his eyes, remembering the various ‘talks’ he’s had with the Lord over his years as a slave in this household, trembling in Sungmin’s hold. “I want to be brave, but I’m still so terrified that he’ll take me away from you. Min, I don’t know what to do, I can’t do it on my own.”

Sungmin shushes Henry gently, one hand brushing away his tears and the other slipping under his still dirtied shirt to rub soothing circles against his back, coaxing him into another kiss on the hopes of calming him down enough speak again, murmuring softly in between them. Henry eventually settles against him, breathing evening out again and burying his face in Sungmin’s neck.

“Hey, look at me,” Sungmin says gently, Henry weakly raising his head slightly to look at Sungmin, to see him smiling sweetly at him, soft touches slowly easing the tension from his body. Sungmin tilts him up until their foreheads are touching, breath mingling and speaking lowly, trying to get Henry to listen to him, not wanting the younger man to have to fear the future while he’s with him.“You’ll be okay, Henry, I know you. And you’re never truly alone, just remember this moment, and use that as your strength. We’ll get through this.”

Henry nods, clenching his eyes shut tight, willing away the horrid memories of the punishments he's had to endure in his past and clinging on to the good ones, the best memories of his life made in the last three months. Sungmin continues to murmur soothingly at him, even as the trembles subside a little, when an idea strikes him. He clears his throat a little and starts to sing the lullaby that Henry so often hums, having no idea if the words are accurate but succeeding in making Henry smile. 

"You are butchering my mother tongue," he chuckles breathlessly, lips quirking upward in a bit of a relieved smiled. Sungmin shoves him lightly on the shoulder, and he rolls back to dodge the half-hearted punch he sends his way. When a stray of greasy hair falls in his face, Henry grimaces, his nose curling up in disgust. "Urgh, I need to wash, but I don't feel like going all the way down to the cellar."

Sungmin raises an eyebrow. "When Jongwoon gets out, come share a bath with me. Saves water and that way and I get to spend more time with you." But Henry shakes his head. 

"I'm not allowed," he explains. "This will be the first time I've ever slept on a mattress so comfortable in this manor. Slaves are usually not even allowed to interact with guests unless serving them, let alone sleep with them. If I get caught in the guests' bath I'll be punished for sure, if not by the m-- by the Lord, then by the other slaves."

“Then we just won’t get caught,” Sungmin whispers teasingly, shushing Henry as he makes to protest, leaning forward to kiss him quickly, a little bit of sparkle coming back to his eyes. “Henry, I’m not letting you out of my sight until they pry you away from me, and they won’t blatantly go against a guest’s wishes. Unless you don’t want to share my bath?”

Henry blushes red as a tomato, sputtering as Sungmin grins at him. “Of course I do, but, what if they catch us? Even as a guest, you can only push the boundaries so far before the Lord ignores you completely and bypasses all that you demand.”

“Well,” Sungmin says cheerily, sitting up and pulling Henry onto his lap as the other man squeaks, looking at Sungmin incredulously. “I don’t care, for one, and for two, no one is going to interrupt our time together. You trust me, don’t you?”

Henry sighs and murmurs a quiet _yes_ before leaning his head into Sungmin’s chest, breathing deeply and feeling lighter than he has in days, wondering how this one man can effect him so much. It’s then that there’s a quiet knock on the door, a low call accompanying it, and Henry jumps to unbolt the door, a very tired looking Jongwoon slipping in. He smiles sadly at Henry and Sungmin and waves them along after him, eyes red but finally dry of tears, walking over to his bed and lying so he faces the wall. 

The sun has dipped so low in the sky that the room glows an angry orange, and because Jongwoon's bed is directly beneath the window it casts him in a dark shadow, the stark contrast making it nearly impossible to see him against the glare. Sungmin sighs sadly and decides to leave him be, knowing that he still probably doesn't feel like talking to either of them. He has every right to be at least a little jealous, Sungmin thinks. 

Luckily, most of the slaves seem to be preoccupied with hasty wedding preparations (Jongwoon had to have heard these and it couldn't have helped his mood any). They don't notice Henry giving a double take or two before he slips into the guest bath with Sungmin, locking the door behind him. It kind of surprises both of them the lavishness of the bathroom, Sungmin having never seen something this ornate and Henry never actually being allowed in other than to draw a bath for someone else.

It is then that it hits Henry that he's actually going to be taking a bath, soaking in water that's more than a foot deep, and he panics. "Sungmin, I can't do this, I'm sorry, slaves usually get a bucket and a bar of soap and a sponge and we don't usually get to soak and there's too much water and--"

“Shh,” Sungmin hushes, trying to calm Henry down before his fear of all things water kicks in, taking his hand and pulling him closer to the bath itself, putting their joined hands just above the water. “You said you trusted me, right, Henry? I’ll be right with you the whole time, you don’t have to worry about it.”

“But,” Henry protests weakly and gives up as the rest of the bath is drawn, looking deep enough to rise up to nearly his neck if he sat in it. He reluctantly undresses and sees Sungmin do the same out of the corner of his eye, not letting his gaze linger for too long before a blush spreads across his cheeks, looking at the ground until he hears light splashing and sees Sungmin sitting in the bath, eyes closing as his muscles relax.

Sungmin simply smiles at him encouragingly and Henry only falters for a moment, light trembles shaking his shoulders as he takes Sungmin’s outstretched hand, slowly stepping into the bath and standing awkwardly until Sungmin slowly pulls him down, spreading his legs apart so Henry can sit between them, back resting against his chest and he rests his head on Henry’s shoulder, humming softly.

“See?” He whispers, Henry stiff as a board in his hold but slowly relaxing, Sungmin’s fingers drawing slow circles on his stomach. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Henry shakes his head a little, not trusting his mouth to say something coherent, still trying to calm the heart that's pounding in his throat. Sungmin smiles softly and lets Henry get used to the water, before slowly reaching for the soap dish, having to lean forward a little bit. Henry scrabbles for a grip at the movement, catching Sungmin's left arm and clinging to it for dear life. "Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing?"

"I'm only getting the soap, Henry, we're filthy and need to clean the grime off. I won't let you drown, I promise," Sungmin comforts, fingers finally grasping the bar of soap and he leans back, Henry calming down slightly. Sungmin lathers it in his free hand, Henry still holding his other captive, before carefully sitting it down on the side of the tub so it doesn't slip off. "Okay, lean forward now, Henry." 

Henry shakes his head furiously, clinging tighter to Sungmin's arm and the older man laughs. "No, no way, I'm staying right here and you can't make me move."

"I need to wash your back though, Henry. If you just let the dirt sit there you'll break out in a rash and you'll be uncomfortable," Sungmin reasons gently. "You don't want to be all itchy, do you?"

"I've had much worse," Henry mumbles, inching forward barely enough for Sungmin to reach his back.

“Well not tonight, you’re going to be clean,” Sungmin says cheerily, gently running his hand over the contours of Henry’s back, cleaning away all of the dirt and the grime and the pain of the past few days, Henry’s death grip having moved to his calf under the water for the time being. “And you’ll sleep with me in my bed and we won’t worry about tomorrow, for one night at least we aren’t going to worry about what the future holds.”

“I’d rather tomorrow simply never came,” Henry sighs softly, begrudgingly enjoying the way Sungmin’s calloused hands move over his skin, letting his eyes slip shut and loosening his grip on the other man, simply relaxing. It’s only when he feels water touch his hairline that they shoot back open, tensing up again.

“Relax,” Sungmin murmurs, slight amusement coloring his tone as he eases Henry back, ducking the back of his head an inch beneath the water. “We have to clean your hair too, Henry, I think a bird might be nesting in it.”

Henry merely huffs, unable to hold back a hum when Sungmin leans his head forward to press a kiss to the back of his neck, his shoulder, behind his ear. This is easily the most luxury and attention he’s had spent on him in his entire life, and he begins to let go of the fear completely, only focusing on Sungmin.

Sungmin works the soap through Henry's hair, making the younger boy chuckle quietly when he takes some of the foam and makes a face mustache, wrinkling his nose and pretending to be an old man. It reminds Sungmin of the times his mother bathed him and Sungjin, the three of them laughing and splashing and the fond memories warm him. Henry holds his breath the entire time Sungmin has him leaned back again to rinse the soap out, eyes going wide when some of it splashes down his forehead and Sungmin apologizes for scaring him before he finally sits back up. 

"Your turn," Henry grumbles, motioning for Sungmin to turn around. Sungmin stiffens, but grins sheepishly. 

"It's alright, Henry," Sungmin tries to reassure. "I can reach my own back, no worries." Henry scowls at him, and continues trying to spin Sungmin around and Sungmin continues to protest.

"No, you tortured me, now it's my tur--" Henry teases, words dying on his lip when he finally gets Sungmin facing the other way, getting full sight of his back. "Oh, Sungmin..." The mountains and valleys of calloused tissue marring the skin there, not an inch of unscarred skin. Sungmin hangs his head shamefully, and Henry slowly raises a hand to gently trace one of the deeper scars. "Does it... does it hurt?"

Sungmin shakes his head. "Not anymore, not for a while. It did while it was still healing." Henry can clearly see that Sungmin is ashamed of his scars.

Henry's breath hitches, and suddenly he feels like crying. "I'm sorry... this... these were my fault."

Sungmin shakes his head as he turns back to face Henry, opening his arms for Henry to lean into him, the other man burying his face into Sungmin’s soap scented neck. “Don’t blame yourself, it was my fault for going into the river after you,” Sungmin murmurs, ducking his head so he’s speaking directly into Henry’s ear, lightly nuzzling his cheek. “And you know what? I would do it again too, take every blow over again as long as it meant you would stay alive, Henry.”

Henry sucks in a sharp breath and leans back in Sungmin’s hold to look him in the eye, gratitude and surprise in his eyes, gently turning him around again, this time Sungmin goes without resistance, and begins lightly washing off Sungmin’s back, slowly tracing each scar. 

He wants to kiss each one, every blow that Sungmin took in exchange for saving his life, feeling a rush of thankfulness that he knows he’ll never be able to repay in a thousand years, proof of Sungmin’s love for him engraved in his back forever.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” He whispers, each scar different in its own way, and he notices how Sungmin shivers when he touches over some of them, tension in his shoulder blades slowly dissipating. He smiles when Sungmin turns his head to look back at him, leaning forward and softly brushing their lips together. “You’re such a good man, Sungmin, much more than I deserve, could ever deserve.”

"And so, so beautiful..." he murmurs against Sungmin's lips before moving down to press a light kiss to the scars across Sungmin's right shoulder blade. "Every part of you." Sungmin flushes, touched by Henry's words and he just wants to cry because this moment is bliss and he never wants it to end. Unfortunately, as Henry finishes rinsing off the last of the suds from his back and starts washing Sungmin's hair for him, they hear some of the slaves passing by outside the door, and are painfully reminded that their time is limited. Henry sighs and scoots so Sungmin can rinse the soap from his hair, the water already starting to cool anyway. 

The last of the suds sit on the surface of the water as they step up to get out of the tub, Sungmin holding onto Henry's hand to steady him so that he doesn't slip. When Henry's out, he does the same for Sungmin, who grins cheekily. "Such a gentleman," he chortles, and Henry rolls his eyes as he drapes one of their fluffy towels over his head. Sungmin gets a mouthful of fabric and splutters, yanking it off his head and leaving his hair a disarrayed mess.

"Very attractive," Henry snickers, fishing around in one of the cabinets for a comb for Sungmin. When he finally finds one, he turns back to see Sungmin grinning at him, lips stretching from ear to ear. "What?"

Sungmin points to the window outside, the sun having gone completely down and the bathroom lit by candles they didn't realize were lit. Jongwoon must have left them when he came in, not knowing how long he would be in there and not wanting to climb out of the water to light them. "We were in the water for a long time, and you didn't drown! And to think you didn't trust me."

Henry blushes and sputters for a moment, settling for burying his face in his towel and ignoring Sungmin, until the other man comes up behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist, poking and prodding Henry until he looks up at him, amusement alight in Sungmin’s eyes as Henry pouts.

“Fine,” Henry says, faking exasperation, leaning his head back onto Sungmin’s shoulder and hair combs forgotten, hair beginning to air dry in its current position anyway. “But don’t mistake fear for distrust, Sungmin. I’ll always trust you, you may just have to chip away at my fear of drowning for a bit first.”

Sungmin simply chuckles, going about drying them the rest of the way and fishing some robes from one of the cabinets Henry had opened, picking up their soiled clothes from the ground and hoping there are some fresh pairs lying around their room somewhere. The quick tapping of feet sounds outside the bathroom and Sungmin sighs, knowing that their time is up.

“We should probably head back to the room before it gets too busy, we won’t be able to sneak by soon,” Henry murmurs, as reluctant as Sungmin to leave the little sanctuary they created for themselves, but also beginning to feel the tiredness settling in his bones and not wanting to have it be too late when they wake Jongwoon to open the doors for them. “Unfortunately.”

“Hey,” Sungmin murmurs, grabbing Henry’s wrist as he makes for the door, the first check to make sure that the coast is clear. He pulls him in for a single kiss, letting it linger and putting all the love he can into it, in case they don’t get the chance again. “It isn’t tomorrow yet, and I plan to spend every moment of that time we still have with you, so don’t look so sad, okay?”

Henry nods, letting a small smile adorn his lips as he knocks quietly. They hear the lock click, but Jongwoon doesn't open the door, and Sungmin has to frown as Henry pushes the door open. The room is completely dark, not a single candle lit and the moon barely peeking in beyond the curtains. Jongwoon is shifting on the bed, probably crawling back under the covers and not wanting to speak with them still and Sungmin and Henry exchange a worried glance. They don't see his dirty clothes anywhere so he must have put them back on after his bath, and Henry makes a mental note to sit some fresh ones out for him when they find the clean clothes. Henry will have to put his dirty ones back on before morning either way -- if anyone saw him wearing clothes of high status he would be beaten for sure.

Neither of them say a word as Henry rummages around, finally finding something comfortable to wear to sleep, because neither wants to be the one to break the tension that divides the room. When they finally crawl into bed, Sungmin pulls Henry as close as he possibly can, slipping two strong arms around his neck and whispering comforting words into his neck. Henry clings to him, but his grip slackens quickly as he succumbs to sleep, breath evening out. 

Sungmin is about to follow suit, eyes drifting shut, when he hears the most pitiful sound, and his eyes snap open. He lifts his head a fraction to see over Henry's head, and his gaze softens as his heart breaks. Jongwoon is huddled, curled up facing the wall, and trembling violently. He is crying, but his stifled sobs come out as whimpers, and Sungmin clutches Henry tighter to his chest, tears of his own slipping down his cheeks. 

Sungmin doesn't sleep until the whimpers stop, Jongwoon having cried himself to sleep.

...

Henry wakes up early the next morning, life of waking before the sun rose starting to return to him with their arrival at the manor, hardly any light shining in through the windows, darkness still playing over the room and silence reigning, not a sound echoing in the house.

He smiles as a semblance of consciousness returns to him, Sungmin’s arms still tight around him and breath soft against his hair, his head resting against Sungmin’s chest, nose pressing into the other man’s collar. He doesn’t move at all for a moment, relishing in the sound of Sungmin’s heart beating, letting his eyes flutter shut as he burrows in even closer to Sungmin, trying to burn the feel of Sungmin next to him, Sungmin’s arms around him, into his mind, knowing that he will need these memories to get him through after he leaves their makeshift sanctuary, shivering at the thought.

His tremble makes Sungmin stir, eyes blinking sleepily and smiling lightly when he sees Henry looking at him, hugging him close and murmuring _good morning_ into Henry’s hair, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. Henry laughs softly at Sungmin’s regular sleepy behavior, making him clingy and needy, mumbling senseless things at Henry.

“You don’t have to wake up yet,” Henry whispers, feeling slightly bad for waking Sungmin up but happy as Sungmin just whines and buries his head in his neck, humming lightly. “Go back to sleep, Min, there’s still a few hours until I need to go to the Lord, get as much rest as you can.”

He feels slightly bad for lying, but he doesn't want to get Sungmin or Jongwoon on the Lord's bad side. He's already disliked and in enough trouble as it is, and if he can spare Sungmin from the wrath he is so used to, then he'll do anything it takes.

Sungmin hums in agreement, quickly falling back asleep, and Henry waits long enough to know that Sungmin is soundly out before carefully extricating himself from the older man's arms. His filthy clothes are at least dry now, hanging from the door handle. It's his only solace as he quietly strips himself of the nicest clothes he's ever donned, grimacing at the feel of crusted mud against his skin. 

Once he has folded the clothes he was wearing and replaced them in the drawer he took them from, Henry kneels on the mattress and places one final, lingering kiss against Sungmin's lips, his lover sighing contently in his sleep, lips quirking upward. Henry is reluctant to leave but he knows he has to, turning to head out the door, when he catches sight of Jongwoon, face screwed up in discontent in his sleep and blankets kicked to the foot of the bed. Henry's heart snaps, and gently he pulls the covers back over the eldest man, tucking him in gently before sidling to the door. He makes sure the handle is locked before he slips out, shutting it tightly behind him.

***

Sungmin gets up shortly after Henry leaves, sad smile on his face as he sees the empty spot beside him, sheets still holding a touch of Henry’s warmth and his lips still feel Henry’s last kiss. He had a feeling Henry might have been lying to him earlier in the morning, but left it up to the other man what he would do, trusting that it was what was best for him in the long run. It doesn’t make his absence hurt any less, but it allows Sungmin some small comfort as he leans back against the wall, letting his eyes slide shut and breathing slowly, holding onto memories of the night before like a lifeline.

When he finally opens them again, the room is bathed in morning light, and he sees Jongwoon beginning to stir, smiling softly as he realizes Henry must have replaced the other man’s covers before he left. Jongwoon doesn’t look in much of a better mood than the night before, but his eyes are sharper, less desolate, and Sungmin feels a small pang of relief shoot through his chest. Jongwoon looks at him curiously for a moment before sighing, swinging his legs until they hang over his bed.

“So he’s gone then?” He questions softly, and Sungmin simply closes his eyes again, nodding and swallowing the lump of fear in his throat about what will happen to Henry once he becomes ‘just another slave’ in the eyes of the Lord again, worried for him.

“He left earlier this morning,” Sungmin sighs, remembering Henry slipping from his arms and the soft close of the door before looking up at Jongwoon again, still concerned for his friend though he looks better than he had. “But what about you, Jongwoon? How are you doing?”

Jongwoon runs a hand through his hair and sighs again. "I could say that I'm doing better, but I would be lying." He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees and resting his chin in his palms. He looks pensive, and his mouth works as he tries to find the words, and Sungmin's heart drops when he just gives up and rubs his temples. 

"Jongwoon..." Sungmin starts softly. He doesn't know how to fix his friend, how to fix this situation where all seems completely hopeless. But he _does_ know one thing for sure -- they aren't going to give up this easily. "It's not over yet. Don't give up so easily, we'll figure out something."

"How?" Jongwoon snaps, his voice caustic and desperate. "How are we going to change anything? We're nobody here. Do you honestly expect our word to go against someone who is clearly established in power? Do you honestly expect us to be able to convince Ryeowook against this? You know how he gets when he sets his mind on something. Do you honestly expect us to be able to do _anything_?"

Sungmin feels his heart clenching with every word Jongwoon says but he realizes Jongwoon is so consumed with grief at the situation that he can't possibly be thinking clearly. "Hey," he says so sharply that it makes Jongwoon eye him in confusion. "I'm going to ask you just one thing: do you love him?"

Jongwoon's chest constricts as the memory of Ryeowook telling him he loved him in the woods flashes behind his eyes, suddenly wishing he had said it back to the younger man, thinking maybe that would have swayed Ryeowook's decision to marry this girl. "I love him," he breathes, eyes burning but not willing to shed anymore. He's tired of crying.

"Then don't give up on him," Sungmin urges, eyes steeled against any retorts Jongwoon may have. "Ryeowook may have given up, thinking he's protecting us, protecting _you_ , but we have no obligation to fulfill but to ourselves. Where's the Jongwoon that stood up against my father? The Jongwoon that I grew up with was every bit as stubborn as the Ryeowook we know."

“More than anything,” Jongwoon whispers, clenching his teeth and feeling that now familiar wave of hopelessness run over him, hardly having to think about his answer and knowing that he’s loved Ryeowook since the moment the other man kissed him, seeming so small in his arms that night, and wishes he could go back to that moment.

“Then get your act together and _do_ something about it instead of moping around here,” Sungmin says, not harshly but truthfully, hoping that this approach will break through to his friend and get him back to where they could fight this. “You can sit here and feel sorry for yourself, or you can try and fight this, talk to him, try and convince him otherwise. If this were Henry I would be doing every damn thing I could to change his mind, but I can only wait to see what the Lord says and then you had better believe I will try my damnedest to save him from whatever fate that man gives him. You can’t love only when it’s convenient, Jongwoon. Or maybe you really don’t love him at all?”

That finally gets a rise from the other man, as Sungmin had hoped it would, Jongwoon standing up quickly and with fury in his eyes, walking straight up to Sungmin and looking nearly ready to punch him, fists clenched at his side.

“How _dare_ you suggest that,” Jongwoon hisses, eyes narrowed and having to stop himself from punching his friend, hands shaking as he holds himself back, unbelieving that Sungmin would even think to say such a thing to him. “You have no right to question my feelings, Sungmin, you should know how I feel about Ryeowook.”

Sungmin fears he may have pushed his friend too far, but he would rather see his friend angry than depressed. It means he still has a chance of getting through to him. "Then why are you so reluctant to fight for him? What have we got to lose, Jongwoon? What do _you_ have to lose?"

"Everything," Jongwoon snaps. "I have _everything_ to lose. You heard what happened the last time Ryeowook crossed that lunatic. If, Luzo forbid, he should kill Ryeowook, or you, or Henry or Jongjin or Sungjin, what do you think I would do? Do you think I would be able to live with myself if that happened? I don't like what Ryeowook decided but I can understand why he did! It's a no win situation and Ryeowook chose the only way to fix it he knew how!"

"So _your_ solution is to sit and passively let things go, come what may?" Sungmin presses, trying with all his might too keep his cool. He's frustrated and upset, not at Jongwoon but for him, and he wants nothing more than to light that spark in his friend's eye again, to get him to try and fight. "We don't have the same standards as Ryeowook does, we can do something without having a constant eye at our backs! Come on, Jongwoon, you were ready to rip my throat out for questioning your love for the man just now, and I'm on _your_ side, you know this."

Jongwoon sighs heavily, blinking away the blind fury Sungmin's words had inciting in him, knowing Sungmin won't let sleeping dogs lie and despite feeling like there's nothing they can do, Sungmin's prodding gives him a little glimmer of hope. "What do you suggest, then?" he sighs, resigned. 

“I suggest that you go talk to him,” Sungmin says honestly, seeing a spark of the Jongwoon he’s used to seeing emerge again, even if it’s behind such a resigned tone. “You can hardly call yesterdays ‘talk’ an actual way to find a solution. I think that you need to go find where he is in this place and actually talk to him, tell him what you just told me, see if there’s _any_ way that you can avoid this.”

“Jongwoon, you looked about ready to kill me just now when I even _suggested_ you didn’t love him,” He sighs as he watches the gears turn in Jongwoon’s mind, unending hopelessness seeming to be replaced with at least some reason, a shallow nod as Sungmin speaks to him. “If you talk to him with that same conviction, then surely there’s a way that the two of you can find to fix this mess. And this Jinseon doesn’t exactly sound willing, you might be able to find yourself an unexpected ally. I’m not saying it isn’t a gamble, but it’s one you’ll have to risk if you love him as much as you say.”

“Luzo willing,” Jongwoon mumbles, mulling over Sungmin’s words slowly and weighting how much faith he can place in them, agreeing in any case that he and Ryeowook do need to talk, feeling a pang in his chest at how they parted the day before, biting his lip. “I can talk to him in any case. Though it’ll be risky getting around without Henry, and I’m sure I’ll have to sneak around all those slaves and their wedding preparations.”

"I don't even know where Ryeowook's room is..." he mutters, sinking back down on the bed with a flop. He keeps teetering between defeat and the will to try, the emotions shining in his eyes. "This is hopeless. Luzo may have been giving us a lot of leeway lately but I think our miracles have run out."

"So we'll create our own," Sungmin retorts fiercely, determined to keep his friend from sinking back into depression. "Look at how far we've come! We saved two innocent people from a terrible fate, learned about a world much bigger than our own, found love..." He crosses the room from his bed, kneels down in front of Jongwoon and puts his hands on his shoulders. "Now tell me that isn't something worth fighting for," he finishes in naught but a whisper, hoping this pulls Jongwoon back from the brink. 

Jongwoon meets Sungmin's gaze, and he sees in his friend's eyes the same glimmer that he saw the night they saw the stars for the first time, that boundless determination. But this time there's something more there too -- fear -- and it scares Jongwoon. The both of them realize the consequences of meddling with Lord Kim could be dire, but unless they want to lose Ryeowook, and possibly Henry, forever, they have to take action. It hits Jongwoon then that he's not the only one hurting, and he feels guilty for being so selfish, because Sungmin had no idea what was going to happen to Henry and it must be torture to not know.

“Well,” A small smile crosses his face and Jongwoon takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment and pushing away all his doubts, setting a look of determination in them instead, refusing to take all this lying down. He and Sungmin have come too far and have too much to lose that they’ve gained for him to quit on his best friend. “You might have to lend me some of that courage and bravery you always seem to have, Min. I don’t think I can get through all this on my own.”

A grin spreads across Sungmin’s face and he throws his arms around Jongwoon’s waist, pulling him in for a brief hug before standing up, thrilled at finally being able to break through to the Jongwoon he’s so used to, nodding in agreement at the man’s rooms.

“As if you could ever do anything without me,” He teases lightly, and feels a bit of a weight lift off his heart before becoming serious again, thinking through what they know so far in order to pull it off. “Well, we know that Ryeowook’s room isn’t anywhere around here, otherwise an escort wouldn’t have been needed to take hime back, I’m willing to bet he’s on the other side of this would be mansion. He said he used to be locked in, right? If you can find the door with the lock, you’ll be fine. And someone will probably tell him what happened to Henry too, if we can at least get that information then I’ll be able to rest a bit easier, we need a good course of action.”

"Right," Jongwoon nods, biting his thumbnail as he thinks. "The slaves are less likely to be out and about late at night, right? And that is most likely when Ryeowook will be locked up in his room for the night." His mind starts to get on a roll, shaking off the last of the sadness as he quietly runs over every detail they might need to think of. 

"Probably," Sungmin agrees, pacing, trying to contribute any logic that he can even though his usual plan is to charge first and ask questions later. He suddenly stops and whirls around to face Jongwoon. "What if there is someone guarding the door?"

"Then we ask to have a word with Ryeowook. We are 'traveling companions' after all," Jongwoon quips without missing a beat. "It'll be more convincing if you go with me. I think that man saw right through Ryeowook and I. A bastard if I ever saw one, but not a stupid one," he growls. "You still remember how to pick a lock, right?"

Sungmin scoffs. "Of course I do. One of many tricks of the trade I learned as a fisherman. I just need something thin enough to pick it and a flat... anything, to turn the lock."

“I’m sure we can find both those things around this room,” Jongwoon gestures around their finely furnished room, thoughts whirring as their plan falls together and he begins to believe that they might actually be able to pull this off. “And we’ll need to do it tonight, while we’re still being treated so hospitably, this way none of the slaves will suspect anything hopefully.”

Sungmin nods in agreement and begins rummaging around the room, looking for the tools he might need that night, small smile crossing his face and a breath of relief escaping his lips. He knew they could come up with something to try and solve this whole fiasco if they just thought clearly, and this way they should be able to figure out everything they need to know and stiff avoid the ever imposing wrath of Ryeowook’s uncle.

“He’s meeting with that woman today too right? It’s the perfect time, we’ll be able to find out everything that we need,” He mumbles to himself, planning ahead the next few hours already and hearing Jongwoon’s hum of agreement. “I just hope we’ll be able to do something.”

“Well, it’s like you said, right, Min?” Jongwoon smiles tentatively, looking forward to being able to see Ryeowook again, but also feeling incredibly nervous, knowing he wasn’t the only one who broke last night, and Ryeowook has been all alone, no one like Sungmin to help put him back together. “If we’re together then we can surely do it.”

Sungmin smiles back, and nods, thanking Luzo for his friend coming back to him.

“Right.”

....

Ryeowook sits stiffly in his chair, hands folded in his lap and lips pressed tightly together. He's dressed in fine clothes, face clean-shaven and hair cropped much shorter that it had been in months. He resists the urge to twist his fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck, as he was prone to do when he was nervous, but the hair there isn't long enough anymore, so he resorts to puffing his still-long bangs out of his face. 

His uncle sits next to him, dressed equally fine and wielding his cane like a scepter. Across from them, Hwang Jinseon, dressed in a pretty white dress with her hair tied up in a simple but still decorative pattern, and her father, Lord Hwang from a southern province with not much to his name. He seems to be a genial man, Ryeowook thinks, but he's dealing with his scum of an uncle and so he doesn't hold his soon to be father-in-law in high regard. He holds back an exasperated sigh at the generic nicities the two older men are exchanging, opting to look anywhere but at the three people whose company he's forced to be in. 

"So, let us get right down to business then," says Lord Kim, once the polite exchanges are over. "Shall we discuss the dowry you have offered?" 

Lord Hwang nods, and Jinseon gives a tiny sigh that the two older men miss, but Ryeowook does not. He looks up to catch her eye, and a small smile graces her lips but doesn't reach her eyes, and Ryeowook knows she's about as thrilled about this arrangement as he is. He supposes if he were in her shoes, wed to a man merely for the connection that comes with it, he wouldn't be happy either. But his situation isn't much better. 

Ryeowook tunes out the discussion as much as possible, humming Henry's lullaby in his head over and over, until the word 'mining' comes into the conversation and he snaps to attention. He has to bite his tongue at first, because Lord Hwang doesn't know of the arrangement with his uncle yet, but the man seems to have no intention of bringing it up. So Ryeowook clears his throat and speaks for the first time since the meeting began.

"I would like to make it clear that one of the stipulations of this marriage is that there will be no mining," he says clearly, earning a deadly glare from his uncle and a surprised look from Lord Hwang. Clearly his uncle had tried to get around their deal, because lueuror mining brings in great profit, but bites his tongue and settles for trying to scare Ryeowook into shutting his mouth. It doesn't work.

"Oh? And why is that?" Lord Hwang questions, genuinely curious. Even Jinseon blinks, her attention caught, but she seems to be under the traditional mannerisms of _women don't speak unless spoken to_. 

Lord Kim practically dares Ryeowook to spill on the specifics of their deal, dares Ryeowook to tell them about the threats, but Ryeowook confidently meets his gaze and replies, "I happen to be against mining. Poor conditions for the workers in an unsafe working environment purely for the benefit of the rich." He turns to Lord Hwang and continues. "If it were coal mining it would one thing, but I know the only thing on your property is lueuror. Develop property, lease it to farmers, I quite frankly don't care what my uncle decides to do with the land, so long as there is no mining."

Both Lords are stunned speechless, and Jinseon's eyes sparkle. "Father, if I may say something," she says, her voice quiet and melodious. Her father nods and she looks to Ryeowook with something akin to admiration in her eyes. "I think that's a wonderful idea. Father always tells me about how his miners keep getting ill down in the tunnels, and it's a shame to their poor wives and children who lose husbands and fathers in accidents."

Ryeowook raises an eyebrow and almost feels his lips twitch into a smile, and realizes he might just have an ally left to him, even if everything else has been taken from him. He gives he a small nod and sees the complete surprise on both the older men’s faces, his uncle’s having carefully hidden disgust mixed in as well.

“Well, if that is what you wish I suppose,” Lord Hwang says, shrugging and willing to go along with his daughter’s fiancé’s wishes, even if they may be slightly eccentric, protests against mining because of the conditions being rather uncommon in their class. “The land is yours to do with as you please after you marry my daughter, it is a simple dowry but I hope you will find it useful.”

“It will be more than enough,” Lord Kim assures, shooting Ryeowook a look out of the corner of his eyes that clearly tells him he’s not yet won this argument, supporters and agreement or not, and it makes him sigh internally, having known it wouldn’t be this easy but still having held some hope that it would be. “We will find it very useful, Lord Hwang, believe me. Now, if you have a moment I would like to speak to you for a moment in private, and it would allow Miss Jinseon and Ryeowook to get to know each other a bit, the wedding is in six days time after all.”

“So soon!” The other Lord exclaims, and Ryeowook is inclined to bitterly agree with him, seeing a sour look pass over Jinseon’s face for the briefest of moments too, before it is schooled back into the proper decorum for a lady in public. “We do have much to discuss then. And it would be good for the young ones to mingle some I suppose, I’m sure they’ll be able to get along well and do their duties.”

Ryeowook nearly snorts at the talk of duties and wonders if anyone ever spares a thought to anyone’s _happiness_ anymore, his being ripped away from him more with each passing second, and he imagines Jinseon’s situation is much the same. But he instead bites his tongue, and stands to bow when his uncle and Lord Hwang stand to leave, only letting the frown cover his face when they’re safely out of sigh, sitting down heavily and sighing.

"I'm sorry," is the first thing that comes out of Jinseon's mouth, and Ryeowook's attention snaps up to the girl. "I know this isn't what you want. I'm sorry my father is pressing your uncle to marry you off. I know he's only trying to secure me a good future, but..." She chews on her lip. "I can't help but think he's using you as a means for status through me."

Ryeowook takes a deep breath before flashing a reassuring smile at the poor woman. "It isn't your fault, so you shouldn't apologize. Besides, my uncle isn't exactly free of ulterior motives anyway. The greedy bastard just wants more coin," he trails off in a mutter. Jinseon gives a sad smile.

"Somehow I think keeping Lord Kim from mining is less about the workers and more about spiting him," she speculates wisely, settling her clasped fingers on the table in front of her. Ryeowook huffs, making his bangs fall into his face unceremoniously, and she giggles behind her hand as he swipes them out of his face. 

"Yes, and no," he answers truthfully. Well, half-truthfully. "I have... a couple of friends, who practically lived down there," Ryeowook explains vaguely, but detailed enough to ease Jinseon's curiousity. "Though I can't see a reason why you would be so thrilled to be betrothed to a man you know nothing about besides his name. I don't even know how old you are."

“I’m twenty two, if you must know, and I’m not, to be truthful with you,” Jinseon sighs, expression saddening, and Ryeowook has to wonder just how similar their situations are, the two of them seeming more in the same hopeless little hole with each passing second. It’s a bit of a comfort to him, that at least he’s not alone in wanting to defy this. “I have my own love that I would have been contented to marry, but my father would hear none of it. He’s a Knight, but the appeal of having more ties to another Lord appealed to my father more, and thus here we are.”

“It would seem that you aren’t willing at all either,” Jinseon points out thoughtfully, and Ryeowook represses a twitch as Jongwoon flashes through his mind, the desolate look in the man’s eyes from the day before still haunting his mind. “Do you have a love of your own that you’re being torn from by this whole bloody arrangement?”

"Indeed I do," Ryeowook murmurs, thinking of Jongwoon and wondering if the older man hates him for the way he treated him last night. As much as it breaks his heart he almost hopes that Jongwoon _does_ hate him. This whole mess would be less painful that way. But if he knows Jongwoon (and he likes to think that he does) who puts his all into everything, then he knows it wouldn't be that easy. "And it seems like we only had a fleeting hour to be happy before he took it away," he continues bitterly, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the door.

"I agree," Jinseon nods sadly. "I met Siwon a little over a year ago but I feel like I've known him my whole life. He just... I love him so much, and this whole arrangement just tore him up. When he came round my home the last time, my father told him I was to be wed and threw him out, and he stood outside waiting for me to come out. He kept shouting, 'it isn't funny, the joke is over, right? You got me' and rattling the gate but I couldn't see him."

Ryeowook cringes a little bit and looks at her in sympathy, acutely feeling her pain. He thinks back that it might have made him feel better if Jongwoon had been angry at him, had yelled, screamed, anything but that desolate look in his eyes, the desperate tone in his voice. His shoulders slump as he thinks of what he wishes he could have done, wishes he could still do, just gather him into his arms and tell him everything will be okay, that it’s all just a terrible dream and they can go back to how they were.

“I’ve known Jongwoon for less than a half year,” Ryeowook says softly, deciding to trust this woman and giving her what she deserves in return for her honesty, some of his own. “But I love him more than anything, I would do nearly anything for him. All he asked was for me not to leave him, and yet here we are. Even after everything he’s done for me, all I’ve done is break his heart.”

Jinseon, bless her heart, is only momentarily surprised, or at least the surprise only crosses her face briefly. If it bothered her that Ryeowook was speaking of loving a man despite being a man, she didn't show it, giving him a sympathetic smile. "The heart is unpredictable, isn't it? Capable of finding love in places where you least expect it. You're a brave man for accepting that, Kim Ryeowook." 

Ryeowook finds himself respecting this woman more and more as she keeps speaking, and the thought briefly crosses his mind that even if it were a loveless marriage that the rest of his life wouldn't be so bad, than if he'd had to marry a spoiled princess. It still makes him cringe, though, the thought of never being able to belong to Jongwoon the way he would belong to this woman. "What a pair we are," he laughs humourlessly.

“Indeed,” She smiles back, a tad bitterly, but not without some respect for Ryeowook leaking through. “We seem trapped by these circumstances, but we can at least make the best of them, can’t we? I can see myself being friends with you, lack of love notwithstanding, and that is enough for me not to give complete hatred to this arrangement, though I’m not about to simply accept it until we’re standing on that altar.”

Ryeowook gives a bit of a laugh, a slight of humour slipping in, and he thinks he really could grow to like this woman, though never in the way he is expected to. “I can see myself being rather good friends with you, Miss Jinseon. It is simply regrettable that it must be under these guidelines, as I’m sure you can empathize. I simply have too much to lose if I do not go along with my uncle’s twisted scheme, in this particular case.”

Before he explain any further to Jinseon's raised eyebrows, there's a knock on the door and the caller doesn't wait for an answer before pushed open. It was one of the older slaves, hands gnarled and back hunched slightly, beckoning to the two young masters. "Lord Hwang is beckoning for the young Mistress," he says quietly, lowering his head humbly. "The road is long, m'lady. You have to journey home and prepare to move once the vows are exchanged." The two Lords stand behind the old slave, looking upon them expectanctly.

Jinseon sighs, before nodding. Ryeowook realizes he is expected to be the gentleman and stands first, moving around the table to scoot out Jinseon's chair and offer her a hand to stand. The two Lords beam (well, Lord Hwang beams, and Lord Kim smirks) as Jinseon gives Ryeowook a curtsey and a smile, and Ryeowook sees the understanding in her eyes. He smiles softly back, both of them knowing that the other wishes neither were in this situation, and for an extra bit of show he presses the back of her palm to his lips, looking as though he were wishing her farewell. He murmurs, "I'm sorry," so quietly that only she can hear it, and she nods slightly before taking back her hand and excusing herself.

“It was a pleasure to meet with you, Kim Ryeowook,” Jinseon says softly, adopting the proper tone for a woman when speaking in front of an audience, and it almost makes Ryeowook snort, hating how they all need to hide who they are. She means her words though, if only wishing their meeting could have been under more pleasant circumstances. “I will be seeing you again late in the week it would seem, good fate be with you until we meet again.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Ryeowook says, trying to keep the edge of weariness from his tone as Jinseon begins to walk to her father, bowing fully and in the full guise of what the heir to a Lord’s position should be, and feels some bile rise in his throat at how pleased his uncle must look, avoiding the old man’s eyes and looking nowhere but at the ground, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. “And it would seem to be so. All the best to you as well, Miss Jinseon.”

Ryeowook sighs as he hears Lord Hwang speaking to Jinseon as they leave and after proper pleasantries are exchanged, his voice carrying, _see, it’s not a bad arrangement after all, the two of you seem to get along fine, he will make a fine husband for you_.

_But he's not the one I love, Father..._ trails down the hall, and it's the last of the conversation he can hear before it filters into silence. Ryeowook just stands there, biting his tongue so that he doesn't lash out at the slave who is tugging at his arm, telling him that he must return to his room now, the Master's orders, and he doesn't even look at the smirk that's surely there on his uncle's face as he storms past, yanking his arm out of the slave's grip.

"You are dismissed," Ryeowook says curtly, and when the slave opens his mouth to protest Ryeowook cuts him off. "I'm not a child, I do not need to be escorted to my own room. I am aware that you are under orders to lock me in, but trust me, I'm not going anywhere." _I have nowhere to go, Jongwoon probably doesn't want to even look at my face right now_ , he thinks bitterly.

“I’m sorry, Young Master, but it is His Lordship’s orders,” The slave says softly, as if to direct Ryeowook’s slight obvious rage away from him, leading him down the corridor and to his room, opening the door for him and bowing even as Ryeowook ignores him. “And one more thing, Young Master. Your young friend, Henry, is being held in the dungeons under the count of treason for kidnapping the heir, his trial was during the time you were getting ready this morning.”

“What?” Ryeowook hisses, stopping the door from shutting and looking at the slave incredulously, even as the man looks around nervously. It’s then that he realizes how much the slave is risking by even telling him such information, his uncle sure to be furious if he knew any of his plans were being leaked, and instead smiles at the elderly man. “Never mind, thank you for telling me that. I appreciate it more than you probably know.”

“Henry is a good boy,” The slave says simply, closing the door slowly and fishing for the key to the lock. “And you are not so bad yourself, Young Master. I am sorry for the situation you are in.”

With that, the door closes and Ryeowook is caged again, sighing and sinking back against the locked doorway, emotionally exhausted, burying his head in his knees as he’s taken to doing.

“Oh God,” He mutters, fear striking through him for Henry, unsure of the fate of his closest friend, and useless when he’s locked in his room. “What am I supposed to do now.”

...

Ryeowook doesn't realize he fell asleep sitting at the door until he hears the doorknob rattling and hushed voices outside his door. He wakes with a start and scrambles away, glancing outside the window to realize it must be at least midnight, if not later. 

"Shh, are you any louder, you're going to get us caught!"

"Says the one who nearly ran into one of the slaves running around." 

Ryeowook stares at the door, not wanting to believe that those voices belong to who he thinks they belong too, because he must be dreaming. He slaps himself on the face, and it hurts, but he still doesn't believe it until the lock click and the door swings open, revealing Sungmin's grinning face and Jongwoon's uncertain gaze, and his jaw drops to the floor.

"Still got it," Sungmin chuckles, dragging Jongwoon by the collar into the room and closing the door quietly behind them. "Thank Luzo we got the right room, imagine how we would explain ourselves if we ended up at the wrong place."

“Jongwoon? Sungmin?” Ryeowook whispers, still in disbelief and convinced he’s dreaming, unwilling to believe that it’s really the two men in front of him, the thought not even seeming plausible. He doesn’t meet Jongwoon’s gaze when he looks up, instead focusing on Sungmin, the other man still looking quite pleased with himself for being able to break through the lock. “Have I finally gone mad, or are you two really here right now?”

“No, we’re really here,” Sungmin says, smiling lightly at the complete disbelief in Ryeowook’s eyes, and realizes that the other man genuinely didn’t think they would come for him, sighing and wanting to chastise him that he would think so lowly of them. “And you look different, no more fair Ryeona I suppose? But Jongwoon needs to talk to you, and you need to explain yourself to him,” Jongwoon nods hesitantly, looking terribly unsure of himself but with determination in his eyes, and Ryeowook shrinks back a bit. “And I need to find Henry. That about covers why we’re here.”

Ryeowook reaches up to tug at hair that isn’t there anymore and can’t help the weak chuckle when Sungmin mentions it, enjoying his familiar rambling, but sobering up again when he feels Jongwoon’s gaze on him and sighing, he’d been hoping that he wouldn’t have to argue with the man, his reason already set even though his heart jumps at the other man still wanting to come after him. He cringes again at the mention of Henry though, not looking forward to telling Sungmin the supposed current fate of the youngest of their group.

Sungmin notices the way Ryeowook falters when he mentions Henry and his gaze hardens. "Ryeowook. Where's Henry?" he asks sternly, fear slipping back into his heart as he remembers Henry breaking down in front of him the night before. Ryeowook bites his lip and looks away, catching Jongwoon's eye and the older man looks fearful too.

"They've locked him up," Ryeowook whispers, and Sungmin's breath hitches. "He's been charged with treason and kidnapping, he's somewhere down in the dungeon. I can't tell you where, it's a small network of tunnels beneath the cellar where the slaves live and I've only been down there once. If I knew," he says, interrupting Sungmin's attempt to speak, "I would have gone down there myself, Uncle be damned. That said, I'm not going to let that bastard keep him there if it's in my power to get him out. He's not going to slip through any loopholes this time."

Sungmin has to steady his breathing, Jongwoon's hand falling on his shoulder but providing little comfort. "What'll they do to him if you can't?" he asks, voice feeling much smaller than he wanted it to. His heart is racing a mile a minute, and he understands how Jongwoon must have felt the night before when he was so sure he had lost Ryeowook for good. "What if they convict him? You said... you said Kyuhyun's trial went so fast..." 

It is with a heavy heart that Ryeowook keeps speaking. He already broke Jongwoon's heart, stomped on it, essentially. He doesn't want to do the same to Sungmin but he has no choice -- he needs Sungmin and Jongwoon's help to keep Henry alive. "They already have. The trial was this morning. I assume they haven't sentenced him yet because the... person who told me, said he was still in the dungeons." Sungmin whimpers and feels his knees wobble but Jongwoon holds him upright. "I won't let them kill him, Sungmin," Ryeowook says fiercely, and the fire in his eyes gives Sungmin a little hope. "My uncle doesn't hold all the cards. I won't let him die."

“Neither will I,” Sungmin says fiercely, a fire lit behind his eyes as he imagines Henry sitting in jail, cursing himself that he ever let Henry leave his sight and wishing he could rewind time to do something, anything to keep Henry from having to go face his fate alone. “I will break him out myself if I have to, I refuse to stand by and do nothing while he is condemned to death.”

“I’ll be able to get him out for my wedding, I can guarantee you that,” Ryeowook says slowly, hating the way Jongwoon flinches when he says wedding, having to swallow the bile rising in his throat at the thought. “My uncle wouldn’t deny me that right if I say he’s to be my best man. The problem is these six, nearly five, remaining days. Slaves aren’t known to be well treated prisoners, the guards are likely to starve him for their own amusement.”

Ryeowook has to hold back tears as he imagines his friend back in jail, having thought he’d rescued him from this kind of lifestyle all those years ago, hating that this makes him go back on his promises. He sees Sungmin’s fists clench and knows the other man is feeling just as much regret, anger surging off his very being.

"That's it, I'm going to go looking for him," Sungmin says, anger boiling in his blood. "You two figure out whatever it is you plan to do from here. I'm not letting Henry spend the entire day alone." He turns to leave, hand on the doorknob when Jongwoon catches him by the wrist. 

"Sungmin, we almost got caught just trying to find Ryeowook's room, and that was just going down one floor. How on earth do you expect to sneak down several floors undetected? We may be being treated as guests, but being 'lost' will only get you so far," Jongwoon says, fear clear in his eyes but ever trying to be the voice of reason. Sungmin yanks his arm out.

"I don't care!" Sungmin hisses. "I'm not going to stand here and do nothing! It's like what happened in the village all over again! I didn't sit and wait for him to die last time, and I won't sit and wait this time either!" His worry for Henry only grows with each passing second, and he twitches in anticipation, eager to just get out and do something.

Ryeowook's mind reels, trying to think of something. In all honesty, he wants to be the one out looking for Henry, feeling that he owes his longtime friend at least that much seeing as its his fault Henry's in this predicament in the first place. But he knows Sungmin has a better chance at getting around unnoticed, an anonymous face among the working staff, and sighs. He turns and starts rummaging through his desk, giving a soft "Aha!" when he finds what he's looking for.

"Take this," Ryeowook says, tossing the object at Sungmin. The fisherman catches it and examines it, a small gold coin with a seal stamped on it. Sungmin raises his eyebrow and Jongwoon looks between the coin and Ryeowook. "Family seal. Anyone gives you any trouble, tell them you're a guest and show them this and they should leave you alone. I only have one though, so you'll have to come back here and get Jongwoon so that he doesn't get caught."

"Fine,” Sungmin only examines the coin for a moment before shoving it in a pocket, turning to walk out the door, thoughts focused completely on finding Henry and making sure he’s okay, making sure he stays that way. The only thing overriding his anger is the fear that Henry _won’t_ be okay, and he’ll never be able to forgive himself if that’s the case, biting his lip and shaking his head to keep such thoughts from his mind, thankful he at least has some time to search before the sun comes up. “I’ll be back before night ends, and with any luck I’ll be able to find Henry before that. Thank you, Ryeowook.”

Ryeowook simply sighs as Sungmin rushes from the room, checking the corridor quickly before dashing out, determination in every step. He’s glad that Henry finally has someone who cares so much for him besides himself, and only hopes that Henry will be able to continue living to strengthen that bond. Jongwoon clearing his throat brings him back to the present, and he almost wishes he could have stayed in his head, not wanting to have to have this conversation with the other man, not wanting to have to hurt him anymore.

He’s afraid that might be what it takes to keep Jongwoon safe though, and quickly builds a barrier around what remains of his heart, taking a deep breath before meeting Jongwoon’s gaze.

“What do you want, Jongwoon?” He says tiredly, because he is, so very tired of all this. He wants to sleep and not have to wake up to this, to wake up back in Jongwoon’s arms in their cabin and not have to think about any of this. But he figures that they all have to stop living in the past sometime, and if it’s what he has to do, then he will. “You know my reasons, I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you or your family to be put at risk, your life means more to me than fleeting happiness.”

"Fleeting?" Jongwoon murmurs, and Ryeowook wants to bite his own tongue for his careless choice of words. He meets Jongwoon's gaze, and he sees the hurt clear in the older man's face. "Is that all we had? _Fleeting_ happiness?"

Ryeowook sighs. "That's not what I meant, you know that. I just... I love you too much to put you in harm's way. To put the ones you and I both care about in harm's way." He moves from the desk and sits slowly down on the bed, leaving the plush chair by the door for Jongwoon to sit in. Jongwoon, however, stands awkwardly by the door, shifting on his feet and feeling like he and Ryeowook are back at square one as far as their relationship goes. 

"Ryeowook," Jongwoon starts slowly, swallowing back the creeping depression and choosing his words wisely. "I know you're only trying to protect me, but you don't have to bear the weight of the burden by yourself anymore. I'm not a child, not like Kyuhyun was. Let me stand with you against your uncle. Isn't there power in numbers? Besides, you said your... bride, isn't exactly willing either."

Ryeowook feels a headache creeping on, and he rests his right palm across his eyes, laying back on the bed. "You don't understand, Jongwoon. You don't know the kind of power that man holds. When he beckons, people come. He knows how to abuse his power and get away with it. He gets what he wants, and if he wants you dead..." Ryeowook trails off. "I won't risk that. You're too precious to me. Sungmin and Henry are precious to me too, in a different way."

"Are we not worth fighting for?" Jongwoon says quietly, echoing Sungmin's words from earlier. Ryeowook tries to hold his tears back, hearing the desperacy in Jongwoon's voice, desperacy lined with heartbreak, and shakes his head.

"It's not that you aren't worth it, Jongwoon. It's that I'm not worth risking your lives. I told you, I love you too much to put you all in danger like that. The last time I fought, the one I loved most ended up swinging in a noose," Ryeowook replies shakily, biting his trembling lip, hand still over his eyes. He shoots up straight when he feels the bed dip beside him and Jongwoon is suddenly holding his free hand, tentatively lacing their fingers together. He stares incredulously at the older man, his eyes shining with love and determination and _how does he not_ hate _me right now?_

"Love doesn't go just one way, Ryeowook," Jongwoon whispers. "You may not be willing to risk my life, but I am. I don't have anyone else on this Earth, as I certainly can't go back to where I came from. As much as I loved my family, I'm probably dead to them, and so they're dead to me."

“Jongwoon,” Ryeowook murmurs, feeling his breath catch in his throat and having to swallow past the lump in his throat to keep from crying, disbelief feeling his tone as he clutches Jongwoon’s hand like a life line. He wants to throw himself into the other man’s arms and simply agree to everything, to let Jongwoon have him again. His mind stops him though, and he looks sadly at their combined hands, taking another deep breath. “How can you even look at me anymore? You know what I’m going to say.”

“It’s because I love you,” Jongwoon says fiercely, seeing the waver in Ryeowook’s resolve and trying to take advantage of it while he can, hating the tired and hopeless look in the other man’s eyes and wanting to take it all away, wanting to simply give Ryeowook some happiness, to see him smile again. “And I’m _not_ going to let you do this by yourself, please, Ryeowook, at least think about what else we can do.”

Ryeowook’s heart stops as Jongwoon speaks, and tears really do escape this time, he can’t help it and thinks Jongwoon’s really stuck the nail in his coffin by telling him he loves him, not that he didn’t know, but hearing it from his mouth just reminds him so much of what he’s already lost. He can’t just turn him away cold heartedly now, lowering his head as his tears drip onto his pants, dark droplets on the fine material.

Jongwoon bites his lip as he sees Ryeowook start to cry, a sharp reminder that he isn’t the only one hurting. He lets go of the other’s hand for a moment to lay beside him, tentatively pulling Ryeowook against him and feeling him latch onto him like a drowning man, tears wet against his shirt and muffled gasps that might be words against his neck, heart breaking all over again.

"There has to be a way," he murmurs into Ryeowook's hair, reveling in the warmth of having the younger man in his arms, feeling so right despite the hopelessness of the situation. Ryeowook trembles and he doesn't want to let go of Jongwoon, clinging to him like a lifeline. Jongwoon soothes him for a good while, murmuring words of comfort into his hair despite his own heart still throbbing in pain. "We just have to find it."

Eventually, Ryeowook's breathing evens out and Jongwoon realizes that he's fallen asleep in his arms. Jongwoon himself isn't tired though, the adrenaline from sneaking around still mixed with the ache in his chest that he knows he's eventually going to have to go back to his own room. So he opts to stay awake, tenderly brushing the bangs out of Ryeowook's sleeping face, looking more peaceful that he has in days despite the tear tracks stained on his face. 

It's when the door clicks open and Sungmin slides back into the room that Jongwoon comes out of his own little world, alarmed at the put-out look on Sungmin's face. He doesn't even need to ask the question when he meets the fisherman's eyes, a frustrated shake of the head telling him that he wasn't successful in finding Henry. He sighs, not wanting to wake Ryeowook but knowing the younger man would be distraught if he left without telling him, and would probably convince himself it was all just a dream. So he gently shakes Ryeowook awake, sleep and the remnants of tears clouding his eyes.

"Ryeowook," he whispers, "we have to go. Sungmin couldn't find Henry but we'll try again tomorrow. The sun is almost up, I don't want to get you into more trouble. Just... think about what I said."

Ryeowook blinks sleepily before coming fully awake, sighing deeply and smiling a bit sadly as he knows their brief moment of respite has ended as he knew it would, but he feels more rested than he has in days, even if it was only a brief period. Real life comes crashing back as he sees the tired expression on Sungmin’s face, and nods slowly, knowing that this is what Jongwoon needs to hear from him.

“I will,” He says tentatively, not quite willing to agree with Jongwoon no matter how much he wants to, knowing that no matter what Jongwoon might say he does still care for his family, and Ryeowook still fears for his life above all. “And thank you, Jongwoon. For not giving up on me when you had every right to.”

Jongwoon simply smiles sadly back seeing Sungmin turned towards the door to give them their privacy, and brushes his lips softly over Ryeowook’s, a simple kiss for all it’s worth but it gives him some comfort, a little of the tension slipping out of Ryeowook’s shoulders as well.

"I would never give up on you," he breathes, pulling Ryeowook in for one last hug. He commits the feeling to memory, knowing that that's what is going to keep him going these next couple of days, until they find a solution to this problem. "Don't doubt me, Ryeowook. We'll figure out something." 

Ryeowook nods into Jongwoon's shoulder, before pushing him away lightly. "Go now," he says softly. "I don't want you getting caught. Make sure you lock the door behind you or they'll realize someone has been here." Jongwoon lingers for a moment longer, pressing their foreheads together for a second, before pulling away and nodding at Sungmin. Jongwoon steps out first, throwing a last glance over his shoulder, and Sungmin moves to follow.

"Sungmin," Ryeowook calls, and Sungmin stops, merely looking questioningly at him. "Thank you for taking care of him." Sungmin falters, hands tightening on the knob, as though he didn't believe he'd done a very good job of it. In the end he give Ryeowook a tiny, sad smile.

"What are friends for?" he says. Ryeowook doesn't have an answer for him, and Sungmin sighs. "Good night, Ryeowook." And he disappears behind the door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clinging desperately on to hope, even as all hope is lost.

Sungmin sighs in frustration as he spends another night searching through the seemingly endless corridors of the dungeon, ducking behind another dip in the wall as he hears the guards going by, flattening himself against the stone.

He’s spent two fruitless nights searching for Henry in the winding dungeons and isn’t about to let a third pass him by, not yet far beyond dusk but hurrying his pace like dawn is already breaking, determined to find Henry tonight, knowing that his condition will probably worsen with each passing day, if his treatment is as Ryeowook says it is.

Ryeowook’s seal weighs heavy in his pocket, and he hopes he doesn’t have to use it, not looking forward to the questioning he’ll have to endure of caught in the first place, and trying to avoid the Lord of the manor at all costs, knowing what lengths Henry went through to keep them out of his path. The only other thing that he carries on him is a small bundle of smuggled food, all he could glean from the meals brought to him and Jongwoon by the slaves, and hoping that it’s at least enough to give Henry some strength, and hoping that the guard at least have enough compassion to give him some drink.

He's glad that the cells are made of solid stone walls with only a small, barred window the size of his head at eye-level in the door, not wanting the other prisoners to notice him skulking around as he glances into them, discerning quickly which ones aren't Henry and ducking before they see him. He doesn't want them to attract attention to the guards. Still, it makes his heart sink because these are the conditions that Henry's been living in for three days already.

Sungmin hits a dead end of cells in a barely lit corridor, the light coming from the flickering torch at the end of the row. He hasn't seen many prisoners in this section, meeting only empty cells, and is about to give up and back track. Still, he thinks it wouldn't hurt to check all of them, empty section or not. He peeks into the first four cells, and barely glances at the fifth and final one. It's so dark this far in that he can barely see anything, eyes meeting only inky darkness. He strains his eyes, lingering a little longer than usual, but sees nothing. He sighs and makes to turn when he senses movement, and ducks. But the person inside has seen him and before Sungmin can scurry away he hears the voice call out to him.

"No, don't go," the voice breathes, hoarse and barely above a whisper. Sungmin stops in his tracks, eyes widening. He knows that voice. It's not his imagination, right? But the voice continues and he knows it's real. "I know it's you, Sungmin."

“Henry?” Sungmin says softly, only daring to dream he isn’t just hallucinating out of sheer desire to at least hear Henry’s voice after three harrowing and nervous days, going quickly back to the cell where he heard the voice come from, looking in even harder and seeing the faint outline of a body curled in on itself in the corner, eyes widening. “Henry, is that you?”

“It’s me,” Henry croaks tiredly, pushing himself off the wall and unfurling slowly, making his way over to the opening, trying to give Sungmin a tired smile and feeling immeasurable happiness at being able to at least see the other man, hoping it isn’t a delusion from being unfed for so long. “Am I dreaming? I’ve dreamed of you, you know, and then I’d wake up again and be here. God, I missed you, Sungmin.”

“I’m so sorry, Henry,” Sungmin whispers, and has to clap a hand over his mouth to stifle a cry at how desolate Henry’s words sound, wishing he could have found him earlier, quickly unraveling his pack and pushing it’s contents through the wide bars, the hollowed edges to Henry’s usually round cheeks worrying him even more, making him wish he could simply kick through the wall and take Henry away from all this, heart hurting at having to see the young man go through such pain again. “I should have gotten here sooner, I’m sorry.”

Henry takes the pack and sets it down on the floor, food the furthest thing from his mind when Sungmin is there in front of him. "You _are_ really here," he smiles, eyes tearing up from the sheer joy. An almost hysterical laugh escapes from his lips, followed by a dry cough, and he smiles though Sungmin knows he's in pain. "Why is it that we're always seeing each other through bars, huh? This is twice now that I've been arrested," he jokes, heart feeling lighter than it has in days.

"Oh, Henry," Sungmin cries softly, reaching a hand through the bars to stroke Henry's hollowed-out cheek. "What have they done to you?" Henry's eyes are sunken but sparkling at the sight of Sungmin, leaning into the older man's hand and grasping at it with both of his own. Sungmin nearly jumps at hold cold Henry feels, and he is suddenly aware of the cloud his own breath makes.

"Nothing," Henry answers truthfully, his voice suddenly very small. "They haven't done anything to me. But they haven't done anything for me, either. They threw me in here, gave me a bowl of water," he gestures to a corner of the room Sungmin can't see, "and told me to make it last."

“Oh Luzo, Henry,” Sungmin whispers, heart sinking more with each word falling from Henry’s lips, breaking more and more, the other looking so overjoyed to see him that it’s all he can to try and be strong for the both of them, wanting to cry for Henry at least. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you from this, I should never have let you leave that morning.”

Henry smiles sadly and shakes his head softly, pulling Sungmin’s hand away from where it was cradling his face, pressing a soft kiss against it before holding it in both of his, letting his lips linger against it and simply sighing at being able to have at least some contact with the older man, having held onto that last day with him with all his heart to keep him going.

“Don’t apologize,” He whispers, lips brushing over Sungmin’s skin and trying his best to smile for him, reaching through the bars with one hand to brush away from of his tears that slipped out, feeling an ache in his heart that Sungmin is crying for him, again. “I wouldn’t have changed anything. You should never have to go through this, Sungmin. I’m used to it at least, I never want you to have to experience this kind of lifestyle, I’d do anything to keep you from it.”

Sungmin can't stop the tears from coming, Henry's words making them fall faster instead of helping to stop them. The thought of Henry having to endure _this_ more than once shatters his heart. He swallows the lump that's formed in his throat before he tries to talk again. "This is wrong," he rasps. "No one should ever have to go through this kind of torture, not even criminals. Especially not innocent people like you."

Henry just keeps on smiling, holding on to Sungmin for dear life with one hand and continuing to stroke the tears away from Sungmin's face with the other. "Yes, well, that's the way of the land here. A lot of slaves have it much worse than I do, I consider myself lucky that they didn't hang me on the spot."

"Well, that's _wrong_ ," Sungmin protests, trying his best to keep his voice from rising so that it wouldn't echo off the cavern walls. "People shouldn't be slaves, at all! Look at what it's done to you..." his voice trails away into a hiccup and he leans his forehead against the wood of the door below the window, hiding his fear and tears and shame away from Henry. _I'm supposed to be strong for Henry, damn it_ , he thinks bitterly. _Can't I even just do that right?_

“Hey,” Henry says softly, moving his hand to stroke Sungmin’s hair softly as he hears the man’s sobs, unbelievably happy to even be able to feel any part of him, even as his heart breaks at Sungmin’s cries, knowing it’s him that’s caused this. “Sungmin, it’s okay. You don’t have to hide your tears from me, just look at me. I’ve really missed you these past few days, so much, I’m just happy to be able to see you.”

Sungmin looks up tentatively and sees nothing but love in Henry’s eyes, catching his hand again and holding onto it for dear life, a small, hoarse laugh escaping through the cries. “I should be the one comforting you though, you shouldn’t have to deal with me weeping on top of all this that you have to deal with,” Sungmin says, a tad bitterly and he nuzzles against Henry’s hand, seeing the other man falter through the bars, biting his lip and looking like he wants nothing more than to throw his arms around him. “I want to be stronger for you, so I can get you out of here, Henry.”

“Your strength is what keeps me going already,” Henry whispers, eyes crinkling as he tries to get Sungmin to stop crying, feeling almost undeserving of the love he feels radiating off the other man. “Remember, you told me to use our time together as my strength, and it’s what keeps me going, even now. You’re the strongest man I know, Sungmin.”

Sungmin doesn't feel very strong right now, though, not being able to do anything to help Henry. The lock on the cell door is simple, exactly the same as the one on Ryeowook's door, but if he were to break him out of the cell now they would have nowhere to go, and even if they did manage to make it out into town the Lord would know right away who broke him out. If he broke Henry out now, then he wouldn't be able to help Jongwoon get Ryeowook out of this mess. It was an ultimatum he didn't want to have to face.

"I'll get you out of here," Sungmin promises, clinging onto Henry's hand. "I can't do it right now because it'll cause more harm than good, even though I don't want to leave you here a second longer. But Jongwoon and Ryeowook are thinking of a way out of this. And Ryeowook said he'll be able to at least get you out for... for the wedding," his throat catches on the word, knowing that that is their deadline, that if they don't do something before then all hope will be lost. If Ryeowook is wed then there's nothing holding the Lord back from acting as he pleases, and Sungmin shudders at the thought.

"Sungmin, I understand," Henry says, continuing to brush his thumb against the older man's cheek. "I told you, I'm used to this, and I don't want you risking yourself for me." His voice is breaking, though, belying the fear just under the surface. He's holding on to his time with Sungmin as though it's the only thing keeping him going -- because it is -- but he doesn't know how much longer he can hold on. He doesn't tell Sungmin that his water is almost gone, because the poor man went through such lengths to get him food. He doesn't want to worry Sungmin any more than he has.

"Besides," Henry continues quickly, not letting Sungmin catch the hitch in his voice. "I'm more worried about Jongwoon and Ryeowook's situation. And I'm more worried about you," he says, eyes glistening in worry. "You're still not completely well, are you? Have they at least given you your medicine back?"

“Don’t worry about me,” Sungmin shakes his head, amazed that Henry would be so worried about everyone else when it’s him that needs the most care, clearly unwell and yet trying to pull himself together for Sungmin’s sake. It cracks his heart even more, hating how much Henry’s having to carry on his own, no matter what he tells him, only wishing that he was able to do more for the younger man. “Some was brought to me, but I’ll be fine with rest. Heavens, Henry _you’re_ the one I’m worried about! You look far worse than me, are you sure you’re going to be able to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” Henry lies, trying to hide the growing weakness in his voice and clutching Sungmin’s hand, seeing the worry and fear plain on Sungmin’s face and not wanting the other man to have to feel like that for him, knowing he’s the cause for the growing haggardness and the tears on Sungmin’s cheeks. He thinks he’ll really be able to hold out maybe two more days, even with Sungmin’s help, but he doesn’t dare to say that, wanting to stay strong for him. “So please stop worrying so much, just focus on your own health.”

Sungmin shakes his head quickly and has to hold back a fresh wave of tears, the urge to save the younger man rising even more, leaning into the hand on his cheek and sighing softly.

The sound of a door slamming somewhere along the tunnel echoes faintly and Sungmin jumps about a foot in the air, and Henry winces. "Sungmin, you have to go now," he urges quietly, as though he's afraid that the guard has sonic hearing. Sungmin shakes his head fervently, clinging even more to Henry's hand. "You can't get caught with me, you'll get thrown in here too." And that isn't an option.

"I don't want to go, Henry," Sungmin pleads, as though his begging will somehow make the situation better. "I'd rather get caught than make you suffer alone." Henry loosens his hand from Sungmin's grasp and slides it down to his chin, tilting it up. He presses his face as close as he can to the bars, bringing Sungmin's lips to meet his, kissing the man as fiercely as he can.

"Promise me you won't get caught," Henry mouths against Sungmin's lips, desperate to get the other man to listen to him and go. "Promise me." Their lips catch again, over and over, even as slow, clanking footsteps growing louder with each passing moment.

"I promise," Sungmin whispers finally. "I promise. Just hang on, Henry, I'll be back tomorrow with more food, just you wait." Henry nods, giving the older man the assurance he needs but not able to say it aloud.

“Go,” he murmurs, brushing his lips once more over Sungmin’s, trying to show all his love and thankfulness for him before letting go of him entirely, pushing him away and urging him on even as every fiber of his being screams for Sungmin, seeing the other man hesitate and look like he wants to say a million things, but the clanking footsteps grow ever closer. Instead Sungmin nods, swallowing past the lump in his throat and tries to convey every ounce of love he has for the other man in a glance, anything to give him at least some strength before rushing away.

Henry watches Sungmin go with a sad smile on his lips, sinking down to the ground slowly as his legs suddenly feel very weak, surge of energy gone with Sungmin. He hears the guard pass by his cell and listens to the usual jeers with silence, clutching the pack Sungmin gave to him against his chest and feeling tears finally slip down his cheeks, weariness sitting heavy again in his bones. He hesitantly eats some, knowing it will simply come back up if he eats too quickly, food almost feeling foreign in his stomach.

He barely manages a whole piece of bread before he pulls his knees to his chest and leans his head against the wall, holding onto the sound of Sungmin’s voice and the feel of the other man’s lips on his, pretending he’s back in the older man’s arms, tears slowing as he slips into an uneasy slumber.

_Sungmin, I’m sorry. I don’t know if I can make it._

...

Jongwoon is laying flat out on the bed, staring at the ceiling. When he and Sungmin had gone past the room, Ryeowook wasn't back from whatever preparations his uncle dragged him to, so Sungmin walked him back to the bedroom before taking off in search of Henry again. That was a few hours ago, but Jongwoon has hardly moved.

He heaves a solemn sigh. The wedding is in four days and the three of them are still no closer to finding a solution to their problem. He sincerely hopes Sungmin finds Henry soon, not wanting to think of the consequences if he doesn't and Ryeowook's suspicions are true. He has visited Ryeowook the last two nights and brainstormed but he keeps hitting a dead end, because Ryeowook is still set on protecting them.

There's a sharp pounding at the door and Jongwoon snaps up, worried for a moment that they have finally overstayed their welcome. It's only when a familiar voice rasps, "Let me in," that he opens the door, revealing a puffy-eyed, tear-stained Sungmin. Jongwoon's eyes widened.

"Sungmin, what... did you find him?" Jongwoon asks worriedly, fearful that the worst case scenario has happened. A million things run through his mind at once, like wondering how are they going to break it to Ryeowook, what's going to happen to Sungmin, _how could they do such a thi--_

"He's alive," Sungmin rasps, pushing past Jongwoon and dropping to his knees at the bedside. Jongwoon releases a breath he wasn't aware he was holding, but his heart still feels like lead because Sungmin doesn't look happy. Sungmin swallows a deep gulp of air. "Jongwoon, he's alive but he's so weak, you should have seen him, they've been starving him for _days_ and... and..." He bows his head onto the mattress, shoulders quiver violently and his voice trembles.

Jongwoon bites his lip, unsure of how comfort his friend. Sungmin begins to mumble, clasping his hands together and lacing his fingers, and Jongwoon's heart breaks. "Please," Sungmin whispers, barely loud enough for Jongwoon to even hear. "Luzo, I pray unto you... You've given us so many miracles these past months and I know I'm being selfish but _please_ don't let Henry die... I beg you..."

“He won’t die,” Jongwoon rasps, over Sungmin’s continued mumbling to their God, pleas becoming increasingly desperate as he can’t see anywhere else to turn, lost in his memories of Henry, so helpless and weak and still trying to put a strong face for him, eyes clenching shut and whimpering, unable to look Jongwoon in the eye. “We won’t let him, Sungmin. It’s not selfish to want him to live either, that boy has had so many hardships in his life, I’ll be damned if we have to watch him die now, all from that Lord’s greed. I refuse to let it happen, we still have time to figure something out.”

“It felt like I was watching him die, Jongwoon,” Sungmin whispers, staring down at the ground and trying to will away his tears, cursing himself for feeling so useless, unable to even help the one he loves. “I _cannot_ just let him stay there, but I can’t save him either. It’s a losing situation that I can’t choose in, either way one of us is damned. I love him, I can’t just sit here and do nothing! What am I supposed to do, Jongwoon?”

Jongwoon sighs sadly as he watches Sungmin reach near hysterics in front of him, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder and realizing that this is the time that he needs to be strong for him, returning the favor that Sungmin had done for him mere days ago, pulling him back up from the darkness.

“I know how you feel, Min, I really do,” He says softly, because he does, having to watch the Ryeowook that he knows die more and more each day that passes before the wedding, squeezing Sungmin’s shoulder comfortingly. “But you aren’t going to help him by blocking out the world and spiraling into grief, he’s still alive, and we can figure something out between all of us to keep it that way, I know it.”

Sungmin whimpers as he knows Jongwoon's words are true, but the image of Henry, chubby cheeks gone and his face a mere skeleton of what it used to be haunts him and he chokes on his sobs. Jongwoon sighs sadly and gathers Sungmin in his arms, the strongest out of all of them finally crumbling under the pressure. Jongwoon shushes him soothingly, tightening his arms around his best friends shoulders and letting Sungmin sob into his chest.

"But he hasn't eaten properly for weeks now, Jongwoon," Sungmin whimpers, hiccuping through his tears. "He would barely leave my side when I was sick, you know Ryeowook had to force him to eat. I wasn't exactly coherent but I always knew when he wasn't there and I know he couldn't have possibly finished meals that fast. And then they didn't feed him at all in the days we were tied up in that wagon, we had to share the scraps they gave us with him and now they aren't feeding him at all!" His voice escalates until he's nearly wailing and Jongwoon only holds him tighter.

"We _aren't_ going to let him starve, Sungmin," Jongwoon says sternly, but still gentle enough to be compassionate. "We'll pack more food and send you down to see him first chance we get tomorrow. Did he at least have water?"

Sungmin nods into his chest. "He said they gave him a bowl of water to last him... however long it takes to do whatever it is they're planning on doing to him. I don't know how much he has left, though, it was too dark to see."

Jongwoon frowns over the top of Sungmin's head, not voicing his suspicion that their plan is to not do _anything_ and just let Henry die slowly, his stomach churning at the thought.

“We’ll save him,” He says soothingly, pushing away those thoughts as he feels bile rise in his throat, not wanting to voice his suspicions and risk sending Sungmin into a full fledged panic attack, knowing how delicate his mental state must be right now. “Don’t worry, Sungmin, we’ll get him out of there and make everything like it used to be, he’ll be okay and you two will be able to be happy together, even if I have to die trying.”

That just brings a fresh wave of tears to Sungmin’s eyes because he _doesn’t want Jongwoon to die either_ , even if he knows the other man is probably only speaking figuratively, the thought just hurts him too much, clinging even tighter to his best friend and latching onto the thoughts of being able to save Henry and get all of them out of this whole bloody situation.

Jongwoon realizes his mistake when Sungmin starts sobbing anew, shushing him gently, _I’m not going to die either, Sungmin, calm down, everything will be okay, you’ll see_. He rubs gentle circles on the other man’s back until the sobs die down to hiccups, eventually stilling in Jongwoon’s arms as exhaustion pulls him into sleep finally, Jongwoon’s shirt wet with his tears.

Jongwoon sighs as he lays Sungmin down on the bed gently, trying not to wake him as he knows the other man desperately needs this rest, and thinks about what he’s been told, what he’s supposed to _do_ now.

He laughs bitterly when he realizes that he has _no idea_ , hanging his head and shaking it slightly, trying to chase away dark thoughts and look instead for what can be done, not wanting to let himself linger on the darkness for too long, lest he find himself spiraling into it again.

It's when he's tucked Sungmin snugly into bed that he moves to kneel over his own bed, clasping his hands together in prayer. It gives him a comfort he hasn't known in a long time, and it is only now that he realizes in the last three months that he has been sorely lacking on his religious faithfulness, belatedly scorning himself that for all the times Luzo has helped them out of a sore spot he hasn't thanked him once.

And he silently chants a prayer he has long since known, memorized as early as he can remember, repeating it over and over in his head, finding solace in the familiarity when nothing is as he ever can recall.

_Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name...._

...

The day is upon them faster than any of them expected. In less than twenty-four hours Ryeowook is to be wed to a woman he barely knows and does not love. The fate of Henry is yet to be determined, but they know the clock is ticking and once the vows are exchanged all hell will break loose.

Jongwoon sighs as they begin what seems to be their nightly routine, Sungmin nodding grimly after unlocking the door and sending a sad smile Jongwoon’s way before rushing off, as quickly as he can without causing a commotion. Jongwoon knows Henry’s been getting even weaker the more days that pass, Sungmin coming back to their room more distraught each night and usually in some fit of hysteria before being able to calm down, eyes seeming more haunted than they used to be, tired and always filled with worry.

He rests his forehead on the door for a moment and wonders what’s left to him, Ryeowook staunchly insisting on having to go through with it, and he’s beginning to think it might be hopeless to try and convince him otherwise, heart breaking a bit before shaking away the thought, softly calling his entrance as he walks in, having already known Ryeowook would be there.

His heart sinks when he sees Ryeowook sitting in the windowsill, staring blankly out at the night sky over the Capitol with his knees curled to his chest. The streets are lined with torch lamps for the weary travelers making it in after nightfall, the lights in the inn down the way still burning behind the windows. His expression is calm but his eyes are slightly swollen, and Jongwoon knows he's been crying.

"Ryeowook," Jongwoon says softly, name catching a little around a lump forming in his throat but its either ignored or not heard, because Ryeowook doesn't even twitch. "Ryeowook," he calls again a little louder, and this time Ryeowook turns his head slowly from the window, the emptiness in his eyes sending Jongwoon's heart plummeting through the floor.

"Look, Jongwoon," he whispers, voice hollow. "It's snowing. You've never seen  snow before, have you? Isn't it beautiful?"

“Not half as beautiful as you are,” He whispers, and he knows then that Ryeowook has made up his mind for good, heart shattering as he realizes he couldn’t convince him in the end, having to choke back tears of his own as he clenches his fists at his sides. “Oh, Ryeowook.”

“I’m sorry,” Ryeowook barely breathes, clutching his legs tighter to himself as tears start to slide down his cheeks again, nearly curling completely into himself on the sill as he sees the understanding dawn in Jongwoon’s eyes, hating himself for having to rip away any trace of hope left in the older man, having spent the entire day running over the options in his head, each time refusing to be able to see so many people, to see _Jongwoon_ die. He doesn’t think he can survive having to watch the person he loves most die in front of him again. “I’m so sorry, Jongwoon.”

Jongwoon doesn't reply for a long time, before he finally crosses the room and sits down on the sill next to Ryeowook. He gathers the ball of Ryeowook into his arms and buries his nose in his neck as though trying to memorize Ryeowook's scent. Ryeowook halfheartedly tries to push Jongwoon away, arms in an awkward position where they're sitting.

"Jongwoon, stop it, please. You're only making this harder for both of us..." he pleads meekly, pushing at Jongwoon's chest. But Jongwoon shakes his head, circling his arms tighter around Ryeowook and rocking them both slightly.

"Just... just let me hold you, Ryeowook. You've made your decision, and we both know it means we'll never have this chance again. Don't take that from me too," Jongwoon murmurs, voice muffled by the skin of Ryeowook's neck and the fabric at the collar.

“Please, at least let me have this,” Jongwoon whispers, not even daring to raise his head to look Ryeowook in the eye, too tempted to try and argue with him, but if this is what Ryeowook has really set himself on, then he doesn’t want to spend their last true time together at odds with each other. “Just let me pretend, even for just a moment.”

“Jongwoon,” Ryeowook whimpers, and he knows he can’t deny him, not when he wants it too, though for so much more than a moment, so much longer, forever if he could. His arms curl around Jongwoon’s shoulders and he grips the older man’s shirt tightly between his fingers, choking back a sob, trying all his might not to dissolve into the same mass of tears he’s been since they locked him back in his room.

Jongwoon only pulls back slightly when he feels the tears on his shoulder, attempting to kiss them away and only seeing Ryeowook cry harder, biting his lip to keep the cries in his throat as he only grips Jongwoon tighter.

His chest feels tight seeing Ryeowook so broken like this. Jongwoon knows he can barely stand to let Ryeowook go, unwillingly letting the man trample all over his heart in his race to save them from a fate they thought they'd all left behind when they'd left his hometown. But Ryeowook isn't a willing participant in this game of hawk-dove, either, and the younger man has to deal with the outcome for the rest of his life. So he presses kisses up Ryeowook's cheeks where the tears slide down in trails, to the corner of his eye and down the bridge of his nose and finally their lips meet, Jongwoon kissing Ryeowook passionately and Ryeowook responding with equal fervor.

"Just for one night," Jongwoon breathes against Ryeowook's lips, tears of his own burning the corners of his eyes. "Just for one night, let me pretend that you're mine. Only mine," he shudders as Ryeowook loosens up, uncurling from himself and crawling into Jongwoon's lap, the kiss deepening and growing needier with each passing second. Jongwoon leans back against the open shutter, cold glass freeze-burning his increasingly fiery skin.

“I’ll always be yours, Jongwoon,” Ryeowook whispers, gasping as Jongwoon’s hands slip under his shirt, fingers cool as they skate over his warm skin, relishing in the feel of Jongwoon’s lips on his, memorizing it as he kisses him over and over again, words a bare whisper between each one. He knows that no matter what he was to do with his life, he would only ever belong to Jongwoon, even if society would view it otherwise. “No matter where I am, you are the only one in this world who has my heart, please remember that.”

Jongwoon doesn’t reply with words, simply pulling Ryeowook closer to him, thumbs rubbing over the soft skin of the other man’s back, kissing him fiercely and feeling Ryeowook’s arms wind around his shoulders, nails digging into his back through his shirt, tears salty on his lips. There’s so many things that he wants to say, but he doesn’t want to waste what time they have together, what could be their last time, on words that he knows won’t be near enough, trying to show Ryeowook all of his feelings instead.

Somewhere along the line they pull apart for air, panting heavily and cheeks flushed red and tearstained. Ryeowook gazes lovingly into Jongwoon's eyes, seeing all the emotions swirling in the dark brown irises, and the tears almost start anew. He pulls his arms back and traces his hand down the sides of Jongwoon's face, flicking tears from the corners of his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he shudders breathlessly. "I'm so sorry."

Jongwoon shakes his head, hands still under Ryeowook's shirt, sliding around to his back and tightening around his waist. Ryeowook feels himself being hitched up and wraps his legs around Jongwoon's hips so that he doesn't fall, Jongwoon leading the both of them away from the window and over to the bed, falling back into the plush mattress and Ryeowook falling on top of him, fingers scrabbling for purchase in his shirt.

“Don’t be,” Jongwoon whispers gently, pulling Ryeowook flush against him and reuniting their lips, kiss almost soft in contrast to mere moments ago, rubbing his hands soothingly up Ryeowook’s spine as their lips move against each other’s lazily, trying to push down the growing sense of urgency in his chest. “I know you don’t want this, Ryeowook, please stop apologizing. Just pretend, for one night, that this is what we could be.”

Ryeowook pulls back to nod hesitantly, burying his face in Jongwoon’s neck and trying to hold back the endless litany of apologies on his tongue, feeling that he should still be saying them all to Jongwoon, knowing how much he’s hurting the other man. He tries to collect himself for a moment as he feels Jongwoon nuzzling into his hair, eventually kissing the older man’s neck softly, trailing up until he can peck him on the lips.

“Okay,” He murmurs, shivering as Jongwoon’s hands grip him tighter, curling his hands against the other man’s shoulders. “For tonight, it’s just you and me, Jongwoon. No one else will matter, for at least these few hours. Only us.”

Jongwoon's arms slip back down to his back, calloused fingers continue to stroke the skin where the shirt has ridden up, unintentionally teasing Ryeowook and the younger man gives a breathy shiver. He meets Jongwoon's lips again, intensity right back where they left off. Ryeowook casts all thoughts about tomorrow from his mind, focusing only on Jongwoon, only on himself and his own desires for once and allowing himself to be selfish one more time.

When Jongwoon's tongue slips into Ryeowook's mouth, brushing past his teeth and sliding against Ryeowook's, the younger man can't help but moan into the kiss. They don't have to worry about anyone in the rooms around them -- Ryeowook's bedroom is the only one occupied in the entire wing -- but passing slaves might hear them, and Ryeowook half hopes Sungmin remembered to lock them back in on his way out. All coherency is lost, though, when Jongwoon slips his hands further up Ryeowook's back, taking his shirt with it and pulling out of the kiss, sucking on Ryeowook's tongue as they part.

"You're mine tonight," Jongwoon murmurs again, pressing open mouthed kisses down Ryeowook's sharp jawline, down his neck, and stopping at his collarbone. Ryeowook hisses in pleasure-pain when Jongwoon nibbles on it, and then kisses the sting away. "Mine," he mouths against the skin and Ryeowook knows there's going to be a mark there tomorrow.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Ryeowook almost laughs, the sadness forgotten for the moment and only conscious of love and desire and lust for Jongwoon. "I thought you said you hadn't done this before." Another moan falls from his lips as Jongwoon bites the same spot again, a little harder this time.

“I don’t know,” Jongwoon answers honestly, because he _doesn’t_ know, he’s just following his instincts and hoping it makes Ryeowook feel good, and judging by the moans he’s receiving, he figures he’s doing a good job. His tongue swipes soothingly over the red marks now on Ryeowook’s neck, and he finds he quite likes the idea of being able to mark the other man, even if they might fade, it’s something tangible to hold on to. “And I really haven’t, intimacy...isn’t something taken very lightly where I come from. It’s only when you truly love someone that you give yourself to them, and even then it’s a big deal.”

He smiles softly and places a hand on Ryeowook’s chest, above his heart, feeling it beat quickly and seeing the other man look at him with wide eyes, leaning up to kiss his already red lips, glistening in the small light filtering through the window.

“You will always have a part of me, Ryeowook,” He whispers against Ryeowook’s soft lips, feeling the younger man shiver in his arms, pressing their foreheads together and hoping he hasn’t made him cry again, wanting to spend this time in happiness. “I’m just as much yours as you are mine, I will always belong to you.”

Ryeowook feels the tears coming again, but tilts his head down and meeting Jongwoon's lips once more, knowing the tears wouldn't stop if he had tried to speak. Jongwoon smiles into the kiss, happy that at least he gets this once chance to give himself fully to the other man, to truly be his, even if this is the first and last time that it will ever happen.

Ryeowook sighs, content with kissing for the moment but his blood pumping faster with every moment that their tongues dance. He feels himself steadily hardening and groans when Jongwoon accidentally brushes his length with his thigh, and gets a moan in return when he goes to grab Jongwoon's hip to steady himself and misses, palming Jongwoon's cock full force accidentally.

It becomes tangible just how much they want each other, how much they want to give themselves to each other, when the teasing touches become frenzied and the kissing intensifies even more, if it were possible. Ryeowook puts his knees down on either side of Jongwoon's hips and reaches down to the hem of Jongwoon's shirt, pushing it up just enough so that it reveals his nipples. Jongwoon spasms violently when Ryeowook pulls out of the kiss and puffs a breath of hot air on one of them, before licking it lightly, tentatively.

Ryeowook laughs breathily at Jongwoon’s reaction, seeing his face flush and a gasp escape as he lightly grazes the sensitive nub with his teeth, enjoying that he can make Jongwoon feel this way. It’s almost cute, he thinks, how sensitive and wide eyed Jongwoon is, slightly fumbling in his inexperience but making him all the more endearing, struggling with his shirt under his arms and squirming making it even more difficult as Ryeowook continues to let his breath ghost over Jongwoon’s chest, peppering kisses down to his stomach.

Jongwoon feels acutely aware of Ryeowook as he pulls the other man back up to him, finally getting rid of his troublesome shirt, skin to skin and reveling in the way their body heat mingles. He shivers at how Ryeowook makes him feel, lips feeling like fire on his as they meet again, and he rolls his hips up tentatively, remembering that day in their cabin, feeling so long ago.

Ryeowook hisses into Jongwoon’s mouth as their cocks grind against each other, accidentally biting down on Jongwoon’s lip and kissing him gently to make up for it, hips becoming more restless as a touch of desperateness edges into his kiss, hands moving to pull away his pants when he feels Jongwoon’s hands on his wrists, eyes crinkling when he pulls back to look at the other man questioningly.

“There’s no need to rush, I want to savor every moment of this,” Jongwoon whispers, kissing Ryeowook’s cheeks before letting go of his wrists, hooking his fingers below Ryeowook’s hips, fingers barely skating over the warm skin before he edges the fabric down, taking a moment to run his hands over the backs of Ryeowook’s thighs. “Let me.”

Ryeowook shivers when the cold air of the room hits his cock, and absolutely trembles when Jongwoon tentatively wraps his hand around it. At first Jongwoon uses light, feathery touches, almost as if he's teasing on purpose (but Ryeowook is aware that it's probably because he's nervous, even in the cabin they never made it this far), and a deep and sinful moan escapes his lips as Jongwoon gains confidence and tightens his grip.

Jongwoon, in all honesty, is only hoping what works for himself makes Ryeowook feel just as good, the memory of the dreams coming back full force now. Instead of embarrassing him as they once did, they only serve to turn him on even more. He feels his blood boiling hotter and hotter as Ryeowook moans and pants, hips itching to urge Jongwoon to go faster but knowing they should take their time even though it doesn't help the throbbing in his cock.

"Jongwoon..." Ryeowook breathes, scrabbling for Jongwoon's hand and, against what his body is screaming for, stills it. "If you keep this up, I'm going to come." Jongwoon nods reluctantly -- even though his own cock was neglected, he was sure that if Ryeowook came into his hand it wouldn't take long for himself to follow.

Ryeowook takes a moment to simply breathe, cheeks flushed as he sits back so he can look down at Jongwoon, seeing his eyes dark and clouded with lust, but still holding that gentle note he always sees whenever the older man is looking at him, love visible even through their passion. He gives a quick sigh as he lays back down, next to Jongwoon so he’s on his back before pulling the other man so that he’s on top of him, seeing surprise in Jongwoon’s gaze.

“Your turn,” He whispers teasingly, catching Jongwoon’s lips in a biting kiss as he maneuvers the older man out of his pants, thankfully causing less difficulty than his shirt, pooling at the end of the bed. Jongwoon moans into Ryeowook’s mouth as their cocks brush, so hard he can barely concentrate, panting into their kiss. The feeling of being completely bare against Ryeowook is mind blowing, and he worries Ryeowook’s lip with his teeth as he grinds his hips down again, feeling the coil of pleasure tighten in his stomach.

He hesitates for a moment when he feels Ryeowook spread his legs for him, clearly expecting him to do something, but almost reluctant to have to break their kiss to be able to do so. Jongwoon isn’t naïve, but it’s still a bit unnerving, and Ryeowook even notices his fidgeting after a moment.

So he sighs, and takes Jongwoon by the wrist, leading his fingers to his mouth. "I'm not a woman," Ryeowook mumbles, trying not to throw Jongwoon too deep into unknown waters as he presses kisses to each knuckle. "You won't fit unless you stretch me first." And then he takes three of Jongwoon's fingers into his mouth and Jongwoon trembles.

Ryeowook coats each finger with saliva, smiling around them in an attempt to ease Jongwoon into this, past his inexperience. He feels himself growing impatient, their hips still grinding together, and lets Jongwoon pull his hand back.

Jongwoon is inexperienced, but not naïve and he is so, so nervous as he reaches down past Ryeowook's cock and stops right at Ryeowook's entrance, tracing it lightly, as if he's afraid to touch it. Ryeowook lets out a breathy moan, however, and the full-body shiver that follows is enough for him to push in one finger, amazed and incredibly turned-on by the way Ryeowook clenches around it, body just as warm and wanting on the inside as it is on the outside.

“Just like that,” Ryeowook murmurs breathily, smiling encouragingly at Jongwoon, seeing the nerves and intense concentration on the other man’s face, and thinks if he didn’t need Jongwoon’s touch so much then he would probably coo at him. “It’s okay, Jongwoon, more than one won’t break me.”

Jongwoon wants to tell Ryeowook to _shut up and stop embarrassing him already_ , but it’s a bit hard with the way Ryeowook is looking at him, eyes filled with want and needy sounds escaping his mouth when Jongwoon crooks his finger, slowly adding a second and gingerly stretching him, Ryeowook’s sure to be laugh cut of by a long and drawn out moan when he crooks his fingers _just so_ , Ryeowook’s back arching off the bed as he grinds back into Jongwoon’s hand.

Jongwoon simply looks on owlishly, mouth open a bit at how Ryeowook’s face contorts in that moment, eyes clenching shut and beautiful sounds falling from his lips, whining of _don’t just stop_ escaping as Jongwoon stares at him for a solid moment.

Ryeowook gurgles when Jongwoon crooks his fingers again experimentally, and when Ryeowook opens his eyes just a sliver they are so clouded with lust that Jongwoon feels his face heat up, not in embarrassment this time around, but desire. A low groan escapes his lips as Ryeowook clenches tightly around his fingers, grinding so far that they are up to the knuckle. He slips one more finger in, stretching Ryeowook wider bit by bit as Ryeowook's hips arch even higher, toes curling into the mattress.

"Jongwoon," Ryeowook pants, fingernails digging into to the swells of the older man's muscles. "Please, I... I want you to have me. Make me yours." He leans up and catches Jongwoon's lips in a heated kiss, panting as he tries to convey all his love through the kiss. Jongwoon replies with an affirmative whimper, sliding his fingers out and using what spit was left to mix with the pre-come leaking from the slit of his dick. "Take me," Ryeowook breathes, moving himself impossibly closer and sliding down, letting Jongwoon guide him the rest of the way as the head slides in.

The both of them let out delicious moans, Ryeowook from the feeling of gradually being filled and stretched as Jongwoon inches in, and Jongwoon from the tight heat that engulfs him. Once Jongwoon is about halfway in, Ryeowook's fingers cling even tighter and Ryeowook winces slightly with a whimper. Jongwoon freezes, worried that he's hurt the younger man, but after a few moments Ryeowook blinks away the stinging tears, wriggling in his arms. "Jongwoon, move," he pleads, and Jongwoon complies, snapping his hips forward and entering him wholly all in one go, and Ryeowook screams in pleasure-pain. Jongwoon takes this as his cue to slow down, thoroughly enjoying the slow friction as Ryeowook quickly matches his rhythm, meeting him thrust for tantalizing thrust.

Somewhere along the line Jongwoon finds his hands holding himself up on either side of Ryeowook's head, and he looks down on the beautiful sight of Ryeowook, sweat glistening in the light filtering in from the window and dripping down the expanse of neck that Ryeowook showed, head tipped back into the pillows. Jongwoon slides his clean hand down and loosens one of Ryeowook's from his bicep, lacing their fingers together. He gives it a gentle squeeze, timed with a well-placed thrust, and Ryeowook smiles into a moan.

Ryeowook holds tight to Jongwoon’s hand as they set a rough pattern, perfect in it’s imperfections, and when he cracks his eyes his eyes open he sees nothing but love in Jongwoon’s, looking down at him from above and light highlighting his hair like a halo, something only for him to see, shining through even the clouds of pleasure over his mind. He locks the sight away deep in his heart and feels completely full of Jongwoon, of his love, and he can’t help the tears that escape his eyes, bringing Jongwoon and his intertwined hands to rest over his heart.

Jongwoon starts for a moment through the sharp shock of pleasure, feeling Ryeowook tighten around him even as he sees the tears slip down the other man’s cheeks, almost afraid he’s done something wrong to hurt him again, until he sees the smile on Ryeowook’s lips, pretty moans escaping still and the near death grip the younger man has on his hand, still moving very willingly against him. He leans forward to lick away the tears, pressing fleeting kisses to Ryeowook’s eyelids, soothing him gently, meeting his lips in another kiss.

It’s love making like Ryeowook has never known it to be, slow and sweet and filled with so much tentativeness, and when Jongwoon finally brushes his prostate he’s nearly sobbing in pleasure, biting Jongwoon’s lip so hard he nearly draws blood, seeing stars behind his eyes and quickly gasping _again_ against Jongwoon’s lips, chest heaving as he still clutches the other man’s hand, not wanting to be the least apart from him for even a moment.

Jongwoon speeds his thrusts, gripping Ryeowook's hand even tighter as they both feel the like the world is going to close in on them at any second, heat coiling like a snake in the pits of their stomachs. Ryeowook moans Jongwoon's name over and over like a mantra, and Jongwoon is past the point of coherent speech as they start tipping, tipping, tipping at the edge and then they fall over it together, Jongwoon filling Ryeowook so completely that it sends the younger man past his breaking point and he comes over their stomachs.

After a few last, erratic thrusts, Jongwoon slowly pulls out of Ryeowook, half in fear of hurting him and half because he's afraid that his legs will give out on him if he moves much faster, already feeling like petroleum jelly. He flops down on his side on the mattress next to Ryeowook, panting heavily as the younger rolls over on his side to face him, eyes sparkling with love and tears.

"Jongwoon, I love you," he whispers breathlessly, bringing his free hand up to stroke the marks he left on Jongwoon's arms. His other hand is still intertwined with Jongwoon's, pressed between them as the older man gathers him flush against his bare and sticky chest. "I love you so, so much."

"I know you do," Jongwoon murmurs back, bringing Ryeowook's hand to his lips and kissing each knuckle exactly the same way Ryeowook had done earlier. "And I love you, so much more than you can imagine. Don't ever forget it, especially now that I've given part of me to you that I can never get back. And I don't regret it, I never will."

Ryeowook finally lets go of the tears he’s been holding back, having never felt so weak in his entire life, feeling the love and care radiating off of Jongwoon and knowing that their night will come to an end soon, a looming reminder no matter how hard he tries to push it away. He feels Jongwoon’s free hand move to his back as he buries his head in the older man’s chest, uncaring of the slightly uncomfortable stickiness, soaking in Jongwoon’s warmth, his scent, everything about him.

Jongwoon rubs slow circles on Ryeowook’s back as he cries, feeling his lips move in a litany of _I love you_ against his skin, as if he can’t say it enough times. He holds Ryeowook’s hand to his cheek, curling protectively around the other man and pulling him against his chest, whispering soothingly against his hair.

“Ryeowook,” He whispers, not wanting to have to remind the other man of their limited time but wanting to be able to tell him, already seeing Ryeowook struggle against the sleep in his eyes, breathing becoming a bit slower as Jongwoon gently soothes him. “No matter what might happen in the morning, remember that I will always love you, and that will never change. Nothing anyone does will ever change that, so please, hold that with you and treasure this moment for when you need it the most.”

He tilts Ryeowook’s head up from his chest and kisses him gently, softly, letting it linger for the longest of moments before pulling away and smoothing the younger man’s hair back, giving him a small smile as he sees his eyes droop.

Ryeowook shakes his head as he tries to remain conscious, not wanting Jongwoon to leave, wanting to be able to revel in the feel of his arms around him for as long as he can, to be able to freely see the love in his eyes, but the tiredness is settling in his bones quickly, exhausted from the entire day and also his time with Jongwoon, struggling to stay awake.

“Please,” He whispers quietly into Jongwoon’s skin, so warm and enticing, pulling him away even quicker. Jongwoon hums lightly against his hair, but Ryeowook can feel the wetness, knowing the older man is crying too. He uses all his energy to say three more words, before sagging against Jongwoon completely, falling into a restful sleep encased in the other man’s arms. “Stay with me.”

Jongwoon’s heart shatters as he hears Ryeowook’s words, wishing with all his heart that he could, that he could stay with him forever, just like this even, pulling the younger man even closer against him and allowing himself to at least have this time before the sun rises, possibly the last time he could truly hold the one he loves like this, looking upon Ryeowook’s sleeping face with longing in his eyes. “How I wish I could, Ryeowook. With all my heart.”

He holds Ryeowook like this, close to him physically and emotionally, for as long as he dares. But he knows the slaves will wake well before dawn and that if they come in the room to prepare Ryeowook for the wedding and see him like this the consequences would be... well, he doesn't want to think about it. With a shuddering sigh he blinks back tears as he pulls himself away from the sleeping man, looking around for something to clean Ryeowook up with. He sees a wash basin on one of the dressers with a cloth to wash your face and figures its good enough.

The water is ice cold but Jongwoon wrings it out as much as he can, the heat from his hands warming it a little. Then, gently, lovingly, he wipes Ryeowook down, the man stirring in his sleep but not waking, too emotionally and physically exhausted to respond to the touches. When Ryeowook is clean, and carefully redressed in his night clothes, Jongwoon slips the sullied blanket out from underneath him and pushes it aside, rummaging quietly around in the closets until he finds a clean one. He covers Ryeowook with it, pressing a long, lingering kiss to his forehead, and quickly dresses himself, not bothering to wipe himself down. He forces himself to leave before his heart shatters anymore, locking the door behind him.

It's only once he's halfway back to his room that he realizes Sungmin never locked them in when he took off to meet with Henry, and dread settles in the pit of his stomach. Not caring who hears him, Jongwoon sprints down the corridors until he's back in the guest wing. A growing lump in his throat nearly stops his breathing as he hears the stifled sobs clear from down the hall.

Jongwoon only hesitates for a split second, hand freezing on the door handle as he worries what awaits him. When he throws open the door, only barely managing to keep it from slamming, the first thing he sees is Sungmin, curled up in the darkest corner of the room weeping into his knees. He doesn't even register Jongwoon's arrival, his whole form shaking more violently than Jongwoon had ever seen it.

"Oh no..." Jongwoon breathes. "Henry..."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The deed is done. No turning back now.

Sungmin tries to restrain himself from running down the hallways after he leaves Jongwoon standing outside of Ryeowook’s door, seeing the anxiety on his friends face and sighing, knowing that they each have their own shadows hanging over their minds tonight, but his thoughts lie solely on Henry once he turns the corridor, pace quickening even more and throat tightening.

He knows that the younger man is getting weaker and weaker each day, even if he tries to hide it from him, and that if he even has any water left at this point, then it’s no more than a barest sip. He clutches his daily bundle tighter to himself as he rushes his way to the lowest level of the manor, sending a quick prayer up to Luzo that no matter what, Henry will be able to survive. As much as he dreads to think about it, he knows that with each moment that passes death edges a bit closer, and he would do nearly anything to keep it away.

He’s lucky tonight, and finds no guards along his way, likely busy with preparations for the wedding (the word tastes bitter even in his mind) in the morning, but counts it as a small blessing, allowing him at least a scant amount of time more with Henry, closing around the dark corner where he knows Henry’s cell to be.

The hallway where Henry's cell is at is just as dark as ever, if not darker because by the time Sungmin reaches it the torch is barely flickering on the wall. The guards must really be all attending other things, Sungmin figures, because it is usually bad practice to keep the hallways too dark to see, in case a prisoner should break lose. The light cast into Henry's cell is even less than normal, and Sungmin isn't even able to see the usual outline of Henry. 

"Henry," he hisses, still being quiet and cautious just in case. "I'm here," he calls, unraveling the bundle like he always does, wanting to make sure Henry eats but knowing the younger never does until he's gone, not wanting to waste a single minute together. But unlike the previous nights, where he's greeted with a weak hello or at least some shuffling as Henry stirs, tonight there is nothing. Not a sound.

"Henry?" Sungmin calls again, heart sinking in his stomach before shooting back up into his throat and beating rapidly. "Henry, wake up, it's Sungmin." His voice grows a little louder, and his mouth feels paper dry, but still nothing. _Oh, Luzo, please_ , Sungmin thinks, blinking furiously to keep his tears from springing forth and trying to stay calm, trying not to jump to conclusions. "Come on, you need to wake up, Henry," he pleads desperately, voice now at regular speaking level, the loudest he dares to speak. "You have to eat to keep your strength, and you can't do that while you're sleeping. Please wake up."

When he gets no response Sungmin nearly screams like a wounded animal, catching his sob by biting his lip. "No, no, no no no no, Henry, wake up, please wake up... please..." He slides to his knees, halfheartedly beating the door as if it would break it down and let him run in there and scoop Henry up into his arms. "Please, Luzo, don't take him from me..."

He bows his head and the tears finally come, droplets hitting the stone floor with a quiet pitter patter. He pounds his fist on the floor, not caring if he's caught now, nothing matters now. Hiccupping sobs wrack his body and he leans heavy against the door, and clenches his eyes shut. 

He misses the quiet moan, barely audible anyway, because of his crying, and it's not until he feels fingers prodding his knee that his eyes shoot open. "Henry?!" he cries, covering his mouth as it echoes slightly. The fingers wiggle slightly, and somehow the whole hand manages to snake its way under the door and Sungmin grips it tightly.

"Sungmin..." Henry rasps, voice hoarse because his throat is so dry. "I can't get up... I can barely move..."

“Oh, Henry,” Sungmin whimpers, nearly breaking down into sobs again as a strange wave of relief and dread hits him, feeling a surge of indescribable joy at being able to hear Henry’s voice, clutch at his hand and know he’s still alive, but terror at his words, feeling panic build in his chest and wanting to break through the door and go to the younger man, terrified that Luzo will take him from him, knowing his miracles may be running short. He kneels on the ground until his forehead is pressed against Henry’s hand, hating how cold it feels. “I was sure- I thought, oh, Luzo, Henry I thought you were dead.”

Henry feels the hot salt of tears run over his hand and feels his heart break as Sungmin cries, wishing he was able to do more for the other man than simply weakly squeeze his hand, almost too weak to even stay conscious. His stomach drops as he hears Sungmin’s voice, and can’t bring himself to tell the other man just how close to the truth he is, sure that he would be dead already if it weren’t for Sungmin and the will that he gives him to keep fighting, slowly rubbing his thumb over Sungmin’s hand.

“Not yet,” He says feebly, trying to conserve his voice but wanting to at least try and make Sungmin feel a little better, hearing the brokenness in the older man’s sobs, gently murmuring to him. It is thanks to Sungmin that he’s still alive at all after all, weak as he may be, and he’s sure that he won’t be able to do enough to repay that. “It’s thanks to you that I’m still here now, Sungmin. I won’t die on you yet, I will do everything in my power to stay here with you.”

"Shhh," Sungmin sobs, still clinging to Henry's hand, comforted just that it is still there and that Henry is still breathing. "Save your energy, Henry, don't talk." Even though his heart is screaming _no, no, no, keep talking, let me know you're still okay_ , he knows that Henry can't waste any energy soothing his own worries. Just feeling the boy's pulse in this hand is enough. 

On the other side of the door, Henry somehow manages to summon the energy to roll over on his side, scooting as close as he can to the door, just to be as close to Sungmin as he possibly can. There are barely two inches beneath the door for him to slip his hand through, but he manages, wriggling his other hand under and fingertips meeting Sungmin's hair, stroking it weakly. He tries to swallow but his throat is bone dry, and even if he were able to reach the water bowl sitting just beyond his reach along the wall, there isn't even a drop left for him to drink. 

Sungmin takes Henry's hands between both of his and rubs them gently, trying to warm them up. He puffs his warm breaths on the boy's fingers, and the contrasting temperature makes Henry realize just how cold he is, not knowing that if it were bright enough to see he would be able to see his breath form a cloud. As Sungmin breathes against his hands again, it sends goose pimples up his arm and down his spine and sets his teeth achatter.

Sungmin feels the shiver that runs through Henry, and only rubs the younger man’s hands harder, hoping to be able to provide all the warmth that he can, wishing he could just gather Henry into his arms and protect him from this, leaning down to press a kiss to each of his fingertips. He feels a sense of dread at how cold Henry’s hands are, and hopes to Luzo that he won’t catch hypothermia, swallowing hard and trying to keep the fear from his voice.

“I’m so sorry, Henry,” He murmurs, still clutching tightly to Henry’s hands as his tears slow, not even willing to let of of them for a moment to wipe his face. He hopes Henry doesn’t try to answer him, he just wants to let the younger man at least be able to hear his voice, something to keep him awake, knowing even his presence helps the other man, anything to give him even the least bit of strength to keep fighting. “I should have just gotten you out of here days ago, other consequences be damned. It hurts me so much to see you like this, I should have been able to protect you.”

“No,” Henry whispers, sighing softly as Sungmin’s lips brush against his fingers, pressing back weakly and wishing he could see Sungmin’s face, but he lacks the strength to stand up still, as much as Sungmin’s presence does warm him. He hears the sobs die out a bit though, and is glad for that, hating hearing Sungmin cry for him and not being able to do anything about it. “Don’t, it’s okay, Sungmin.”

The two of them fall into silence, Sungmin doing everything he can to warm Henry through his hands and trying to control his crying, and Henry just relishing in the feeling that he knows Sungmin is there with him, even as his left arm starts to tingle from laying on it. Sungmin doesn't want to press Henry to talk, knowing that if he keeps protesting, the poor boy will try to reassure him that it's not his fault even though he feels so much to blame and just waste more energy on him. 

Sungmin begins to hum Henry's lullaby, far past the point of words and just trying to provide Henry with something familiar, something to warm his heart in such a cold place. His voice shakes as he hums, still crying as he strokes the back of Henry's hand, wanting nothing more than to pull the boy into his lap and comfort him. Henry smiles meekly even though the tune makes his eyelids heavy, curling even more into the door and twisting one of his hands so that he can press it together with Sungmin's, trembling and fumbling a bit until their fingers line up, his hand only slightly bigger than Sungmin's. 

"So sleepy..." Henry whispers honestly, pressing weakly against Sungmin's hand and smiling to himself when Sungmin presses back. Then he slips his fingers a millimeter to the side, curling them down so that their hands are intertwined. Sungmin's breath catches in his throat at Henry's admission and his heart nearly stops. 

"Henry, you can't sleep now," Sungmin says urgently, squeezing Henry's hand in his and taking the other to intertwine as well, not hard but with enough pressure to keep Henry conscious. "It's too dangerous to fall asleep now." He would have Henry keep talking in order to keep him awake but that would just cost Henry more energy in the long run, settling to keep steady squeezes on Henry's hands to give him focused on something. "Stay with me, Henry. I'm here, okay? I'm here." 

Henry nods even though Sungmin can't see it, squeezing back to let the other man know he heard. Sungmin resumes humming, a completely foreign melody altogether, and for every squeeze Sungmin gives Henry presses weakly back, letting Sungmin know he is still there. But there is still that tension between them, the looming fear from Sungmin and the tired resign from Henry who is desperately clinging on to consciousness but quickly losing the battle. In a last ditch effort to hang on he works his throat, willing it to work.

"I love you, Sungmin," he murmurs, voice the loudest its been all night and still barely audible. Sungmin freezes, the finality in Henry's tone scaring him beyond measure. He clings onto Henry's hands, worrying his lip as he tries to find words that have abandoned him. 

“I love you too,” Sungmin says gently, trying to keep the growing fear from his voice and gripping Henry’s hands like a lifeline, feeling the tears burn in his eyes again and shaking his head, trying to fight against the dread of why Henry is all of the sudden telling him those words. “But don’t you dare say that like it’s the last thing you’re going to say to me, please, Henry, don’t give up.”

“I need you, and I promised I wouldn’t leave you,” He lowers his head back to their entwined hands, pressing them to his lips and and mouthing against them, voice a bear whisper as the shadows in his mind grow, fear filling his heart. “So please, don’t leave me.”

“I don’t want to,” Henry murmurs, heart breaking at the complete terror in Sungmin’s voice, and forcing his own voice to work a bit more, keeping himself conscious a little bit longer, wanting to be able to comfort the other man. He doesn’t want to lie to him, but Sungmin sounds on the verge of hysteria, and he knows that if he suddenly falls silent then the other man will take it in its worst way, and probably break completely. “I’ll never leave you, no matter what happens. I just wanted to tell you.”

"I'm not giving up... I love..." he trails off into a coughing fit, voice finally failing him, and he clutches Sungmin's hands as his chest feels like its going to explode. Sungmin bites his cheek to keep from crying out and after what seems an age Henry finally stops coughing, taking wheezing gulps of air to catch his breath.

"Breathe, Henry," Sungmin whispers, sounding terrified but knowing Henry will panic if he can't breathe. "You're okay, you're okay, just focus on the in and out, okay? Don't try and talk anymore," he soothes, the tears springing back as quick as ever. Henry squeezes his hands lightly in affirmation, too dehydrated to even cry at his burning lungs. 

But it seems as though their miracles have finally run short when a door slams, very, very close by. Sungmin jerks but doesn't release Henry's hands, eyes widening as he scans the empty corridor as far as he can see. "Why are the guards coming now? They're early," he breathes, more to himself than to Henry but the younger hears him anyway. 

"G-go," Henry chokes, still heaving for air. Sungmin shakes his head though Henry can't see him, clutching his hands even tighter. Henry doesn't need to see to know that Sungmin is trying to stay with him, but he hasn't the strength to tell him off. Instead he gathers the last of his will and though his heart begs him not to he pulls his hands, with great difficulty, from between Sungmin's and pulls them back inside the cell. "Go," he repeats and Sungmin falters.

The footsteps are dangerously close and if the guard turns the corner with a torch Sungmin will be trapped. But Henry is teetering on the edge of death and he refuses to leave his lover alone in such a desperate time. But when Henry begs him, _Please_ , its sounds like the last request of a dying man and Sungmin knows that Henry will never forgive him if he gets caught and lets his suffering be for naught. With a shuddering sob, Sungmin whispers, "I love you," before scrabbling to his feet and dashing down the corridor, rounding a seperate corner and hiding in the doorway of an empty cell just as a guard starts down toward Henry's cell.

"Wake up, boy," the guard booms, voice echoing off the walls and making Sungmin cringe. He stays where he's at, listening to hear what the guard has to say. "Your presence is requested by the young master. Seems you get a reprieve today for the celebration." Sungmin hears keys jangling , but suddenly all the noises stop. "What's this?" A creak of armor tells Sungmin that the guard is bending over and suddenly his stomach drops -- he realizes he left the bundle of food sitting on the floor next to the door. 

"So a hoarding rat has been sneaking around to feed his fellow rat, I see," the guard snarls, and a door slams open. "Get up." There's the sound of metal against flesh and Henry moans, and Sungmin has to bite down on his knuckles to keep from sobbing. He can't take on a fully-armed guard single-handedly, so he can only listen as the knight kicks Henry around. "What, are you too tired? Say something, you little rat, or do you not have a voice left?" 

"S-stop..." Henry whimpers and Sungmin feels a bit of himself break, hearing Henry sound like that. The guard only laughs and the armor clanks again, and this time Henry cries out loudly, impossible though it seems, his pained wail ringing in Sungmin's ear. 

"Funny, did I just hear you _tell_ me to stop? Maybe I should just tell the young master that you unfortunately passed just this morning... maybe that will put you and the insolent brat in your places." Sungmin can't take hearing any more of this, and it is with Henry's pleas for him to stay safe in his heart that he runs down the tunnel toward the doors, calling himself a coward all the while. 

He’s surprised he manages to make it back to his and Jongwoon’s room without getting caught, filled with self loathing and tears streaming down his cheeks, praying with every fiber of his being that Henry will be alive when he sees him next, knowing that they might be out of miracles but he’s willing to give _anything_ at this point for Henry to be okay, a sob tearing from his throat as he slams the door behind him.

He doesn’t even think of Jongwoon and Ryeowook, so lost in his own spiral of grief as he all but collapses, not even able to make it to his bed as he pulls his knees up to his chest and sobs desolately into them, not caring how loud he is and who can hear him, thoughts filled only with Henry and cursing his own stupidity for leaving the food there, and if Henry dies it will be entirely his own fault, and the thought simply breaks him even more, tear tracks engrained on his cheeks. 

“Please, Luzo, I will do anything, I will die for him,” Sungmin whispers, not even hearing the door creak open slowly, so lost in his own demons, praying with all of his heart. “Please, let me have him a little bit longer, don’t take him away from me. I don’t care what I have to do, even if he can’t be mine, just please _don’t let him die_."

Distantly, he becomes aware of Jongwoon's presence when the older man says something but he quite frankly isn't paying any attention to him, too busy pleading to their God to even see the older man when he kneels down in front of him. It isn't until Jongwoon's hands are on his shoulders, shaking him, that he even looks up, tears streaking his cheeks and eyes swollen.

"Sungmin," Jongwoon says sternly, dread and concern swirling around in his eyes in the dim light from the torch outside their room. "What happened to Henry?" 

Tears cloud Sungmin's vision and Jongwoon becomes a blurred mess of colors as he clutches his knees tighter. "Henry's going to die and it will all be my fault, Jongwoon, I can't take this, he doesn't deserve to die, if anyone should be in that cell it should be me and oh Luzo, please tell me this is a horrible nightmare that I'll wak--"

Jongwoon tries to get something coherent out of Sungmin, but all the younger man can do is babble through his sobs, and he grits his teeth before slapping Sungmin hard across the cheek. "Sungmin, calm down, and tell me what _happened_ ," he says again, holding Sungmin firmly by the shoulder as he reels from the strike.

Sungmin simply stares at Jongwoon, wide eyed for a moment, disbelieving that his friend had actually _hit_ him, but his thoughts do clear a bit and he manages to stay coherent long enough to think calmly for a moment, relaying what happened as clearly as he can to Jongwoon, still shaking heavily as tears run down his cheeks, trying and failing at keeping his voice level, having to stop every few moments to collect himself again.

Jongwoon’s face darkens as Sungmin barely manages to tell him what happened, hating that there isn’t something he himself could do to prevent it, feeling like he’s failed the youngest of their group, heart breaking. Sungmin’s voice breaks when he tells Jongwoon of how the guard treated Henry, and his friend looks simply murderous but it doesn’t register, Jongwoon’s face beginning to blur again as he buries his face in his knees, tears starting anew as he remembers mere moments before.

“He’s going to die and it’s all my fault, he told me he _loved_ me, Jongwoon, like it was going to be his last words,” Sungmin sobs desperately, nonsensically, clutching to reality and trying not to lose himself in the darkness again. “If I just hadn’t been such a coward, if I’d done anything different, I just feel like I’m drowning in the darkness, Jongwoon, and I don’t know how to stop it.”

"Sungmin don't you dare give up on him," Jongwoon says harshly, trying to keep his friend from going over the edge of sanity, tipping very close to losing it altogether. "He's held on this long because you were strong for him, if you give up on him now he's as good as dead. They probably came early to collect him because it wouldn't be a good image if the groom's best man passed out during the ceremony. They're probably going to try and at least appeal to their 'audience' by letting him eat all morning beforehand." The words about the wedding fall bitterly from Jongwoon's mouth but right now Henry needs them to be strong for him, and Sungmin needs someone to keep him from falling apart. 

Sungmin doesn't lift his head from his knees, but he mumbles something into them that Jongwoon can't understand. The older man gently makes him sit up so that he can speak clearer, the miserable tone still thick in Sungmin's voice. "The guard said he was going to tell Ryeowook that Henry died." Jongwoon's breath hitches in his throat and Sungmin swallows the lump in his throat. "They don't care, Jongwoon. They don't care about whether Henry lives or dies. They don't care if Ryeowook asked him to be his best man because their loyalty is to the Lord. For all we know he sent the guard down there to finish Henry off. And I _just left him there._ "

“He’ll be okay, you know Ryeowook wouldn’t simply accept what they say, he still has some power,” Jongwoon says desperately, almost trying to convince himself along with Sungmin, not even wanting to think about what would happen if they actually did kill Henry, knowing that Ryeowook would feel just as much pain, if not more, than Sungmin was right now. “There are still those here that are loyal to him as well, and the Lord wouldn’t risk upsetting appearances now, you know how he is. That guard was likely blowing off steam, they didn’t mean it, and Henry will be there, have faith, Sungmin.”

“I’m trying,” Sungmin whispers, a bit calmer but still shaking like a leaf, trying to hang onto Jongwoon’s words and believe in them, hoping with all of his heart that his friend is right, renewing his prayers in his head and hoping that they are enough. His God has never failed them before, but he’s praying that this isn’t the time that he teaches them their lesson in revoking that faith, wishing with all his heart that all will work out in the end, that all of their suffering will come to pass. “I’m really trying, Jongwoon, but I don’t know how much more I can do this.”

Jongwoon nods, knowing exactly how his friend is feeling right now, and just pats his shoulder. "He'll be okay, Min," he repeats, moving to stand and helping Sungmin uncurl from himself. "Now come on, you need to rest if we're going to be able to make it tomorrow."

Sungmin gapes slightly at Jongwoon. "You're going?" He knows Jongwoon loves Ryeowook but he didn't think he would willingly watch the one he loves be handed off to another. Jongwoon rolls his lips into a thin line as he nods, offering his hand out to help Sungmin to his feet.

"This is a big moment for him," Jongwoon affirms quietly, turning to his bed and pulling the covers back, playing with a loose thread instead of looking at his friend. "I can't spite him for acting to protect us. I'll be there." _Even if my heart can't take it, I won't deny Ryeowook the love and support he needs_ , he thinks, heart weighing heavily in his chest.

Sungmin frowns worriedly at the emotions clashing clearly clashing in Jongwoon's eyes. "Does he know you're going?" he asks, even though he probably already knows the answer. "And more importantly, will you be okay?"

“No, we didn’t talk about any of that,” Jongwoon says softly, not meeting Sungmin’s eyes and swallowing hard, as much as it may kill him inside, he wants Ryeowook to know he’ll always be there for him, no matter what the circumstances are. “And no, not in the least. I’m not even relatively okay to _think_ about it, but that’s not what important. What’s important is to stay strong for him, it’s my cross to bear, for the rest of my life. I love him, and to do anything less would tarnish that, it’s simply what I have to do.”

“Jongwoon...” Sungmin trails off, in slight awe of his friend’s resolve, putting a shaky hand on his shoulder and squeezing gently, before crawling into bed. He’s sure that even if he does sleep, it will be haunted by demons, but knows Jongwoon will insist on nothing less of him, if only for his health. “You’ve really grown.”

Jongwoon shrugs and sends him a weak smile, waving it off and trying his best to not think about the event that will take place in mere hours. “Just get some rest, Min. Everything will be okay, we’ll get through this,” He says it as almost a reassurance to himself, and though he knows he may never be okay, he might be able to come close. “Go to sleep, I’m sure a slave will come to get us when we’re needed.”

Sungmin nods hesitantly and watches Jongwoon trudge over to his own bed, looking so much older than he remembers him to be, turning his back to the wall and burying his face in the pillow. 

“Please,” Sungmin prays, one last time before the exhaustion pulls him under, sleep as unrestful as he imagined it would be. “Please, just give us one more miracle, one more.”

_Please._

...

Ryeowook's fingers are trembling as he fastens the last button on his waistcoat, a pale shade of beige and ornately adorned with gold stitching. He feels sick wearing it -- the last time it had been worn was when his uncle was wed to his late wife. The Lord had also be a lot less rotund as well, but still it fits the thin Ryeowook a little big, so he has to wear a wide belt with it. Well, he'd have to wear the belt, anyway, the decorative sword and tassels laying on the bed glaring at him as a reminder.

The ceremony is mere hours away and Ryeowook still has yet to see Henry -- his uncle swore up and down that Henry would be allowed to be his best man, and even given something remotely nice to wear (but still not as lavish as the other guests, _his status as a slave is still valid, you know_ ) but given the reports from Jongwoon, Ryeowook isn't sure Henry will be in any shape to do anything. 

His heart gives a sharp pang at the thought of Jongwoon, hand rising to his collar, where Jongwoon’s marks are barely hidden, one of the few things he has to remember their night by. He’s not sure if he’d have thought it was all just a figment of his imagination if not for them, having been woken up by the kindly older slave completely clean and alone, having to keep the tears from his voice as he dismissed the older man and got ready himself.

He’s not sure if he even has tears left to cry anymore, merely feeling empty as he fastens the sword to his belt, the tassels at his shoulder. There’s so much worry inside him that he thinks it’s amazing he hasn’t spit up bile yet, simply waiting for something to go terribly wrong, knowing he’s sealing his own fate more and more with each decorative piece he puts on, locking away his own happiness.

There's a quiet knock on the door, which surprises Ryeowook, as the lock is still on the outside and so he can't let them in anyway unless they have the key, but he answers them anyway. "Come in," he calls quietly, not looking himself in the full body mirror, knowing that if he sees himself all dressed up he likely _will_ lose what's left in his stomach.

The lock clicks and the door swings open, and Ryeowook quickly dashes over to the door to pull Henry into a bone-crushing hug as soon as he sees the boy, mindful not to prod him with the hilt of the sword. Henry hugs back weakly, looking completely dead on his feet, cheeks hollow and nothing but skin and bones. Henry is dressed in pants that actually fit, a nice shirt and a much shorter (and much plainer) waistcoat than Ryeowook's, but it's still not enough to hide the fact that he'd been mistreated the last week.

“Oh my God, Henry,” He whispers as he holds his friend tightly, burying his face in his shoulder and shuddering as he feels Henry’s hands twist weakly in his vest, hearing the quiet sobs that escape Henry’s throat as he holds him. He sends a quick prayer up to whoever is listening as thanks for saving Henry, and has to swallow past the lump in his throat as he pulls back a bit to look at Henry’s face, quickly guiding him to sit on the bed. “What’s happened to you? I’m so sorry, I should have done something, I’m sorry-”

“Stop apologizing, please, I’ve had enough apologies in the past week to last me a lifetime,” Henry says tiredly, but he’s so happy to see Ryeowook, it’s all he can do not to launch himself back at his friend, even though his head swims a bit at the idea of having to stand again, no matter how much they’ve cleaned him up. “Are _you_ okay, Ryeowook?”

"I'm fine, Henry, you don't need to be worrying about me in your state," he lies, pushing his own heartbreak to the side. Henry needs him now. His breakfast from this morning sits untouched on his desk, too naseous to even think of eating, but now he's glad the slave never returned to get it, offering it to Henry. "Eat, Henry, you need to get your strength back," he orders, pushing an orange into Henry's hand.

Henry doesn't even think he can hold even this much down, the water that was pretty much forced down his throat when the guard finally stopped beating him sloshing in his stomach. But he knows Ryeowook is right, if he doesn't eat something he'll probably faint out cold during the ceremony, so he peels the orange with shaky fingers.

“I’m really scared, Ryeowook,” He confesses quietly, slowly eating the bits of the fruit and feeling his stomach hurt already, feeling like it’s shrunk to the size of a walnut. But he eats it anyway to at least make Ryeowook feel better, seeing how anxiety ridden the other man is, and knowing he’s lying about his own condition, sighing softly. “I don’t know what’s going to happen after this, and Sungmin probably thinks I’m dead right now, and I can’t do anything, I’m so helpless. I can’t even help you, even after all you’ve done for me.”

“And please, don’t lie to me,” He smiles weakly and ironically up at Ryeowook, finishing off the orange reluctantly. “I’ve known you long enough, Ryeowook, you really aren’t okay and we both know it. You can tell me, I won’t break.”

"Henry," Ryeowook says softly, leaning against the bedpost, "you're already broken. Look at you, I don't even know how you were even standing before." Ryeowook sighs as Henry's eyes see right through him, and knows he really can't keep secrets from the boy. "I'll be fine, Henry," he reassures. "Maybe not right now, maybe not tomorrow, or even any time soon. But I'll get there. I have to do this, you know that. You saw what happened to Kyuhyun. I can't let you or Jongwoon or Sungmin go through that." 

Henry gulps as he finishes the last of his orange, the citrus acid burning in the pit of his stomach. He knows Ryeowook is doing everything in his power to keep them all safe but... "Ryeowook, even you can't keep me from going back down there after this is all over," he mutters, shivering at the prospect of being sent back to the dungeons. He doesn't look at his friend, opting to stare at the orange peels in his hand.

"The hell I can't," Ryeowook snaps, unexpectedly harsh. "I've already got that taken care of." Henry's eyes widen, head snapping up to meet his friend's gaze. "I spoke with Jinseon and she said she didn't mind if you were our 'slave'. I'm taking you with me, Henry. The minute we step foot out of this place you'll be a free man."

“Ryeowook,” Henry whispers, a tad of awe filling his voice, almost in disbelief. He’s been a slave nearly his entire life, even if Ryeowook never treated him as such, it had always loomed over him. “Thank you.”

Ryeowook shakes his head sadly, smiling painfully at Henry. “You shouldn’t be thanking me, Henry, you should never have been a slave in the first place, I’m only sorry it took me this long to be able to pull the right strings to get you out of here,” He hates how disbelieving Henry seems, as if he’s giving him some kind of precious gift, when really it’s all he’s deserved all along. “You’ll be able to be with Sungmin, even. You can be _happy_. If there’s anyone in this world who deserves happiness, it’s you, Henry.”

“But you won’t be,” Henry says worriedly, seeing the looming darkness in Ryeowook’s eyes, still red and puffy from all the crying that he’s no doubt been doing, and it hurts him inside, knowing what his friend is giving up for the rest of their sakes. “You deserve happiness too, Ryeowook, don’t even dare start to think that you don’t.”

"As long as the ones that I care about are safe, and happy, then I'll be okay," Ryeowook assures. "That's the most important thing. I'm not going to be selfish anymore, not when the people I love are the ones that pay the cost," he says firmly, believing every word full heartedly, even if it breaks him in the process. Henry chews on his lip, ecstatic about the news and filled with the overwhelming desire to tell Sungmin, but still worried about his friend.

"What about Jongwoon, then?" he asks quietly, seeing Ryeowook stiffen at the name and watches as Ryeowook rubs at his collarbone unconsciously. "What does he do when this is all said and done? Where does he go?" The guilt of being given this opportunity when Jongwoon still suffers eats away at his conscience.

Ryeowook takes a deep breath before answering, forcing himself not to vomit as he feels his stomach turn again, looking at Henry with what he’s sure is desolate and lost eyes, but he knows he’d never be able to hide it from the other man anyway, so he’s stopped trying.

“He’ll be okay, he’s strong,” He whispers, hoping he’s right, hand fisting against his collar and clinging to their memories with all his might, really the only things that are keeping him hanging on at this point, speaking past the lump in his throat. “Maybe he’ll even be able to find someone who deserves him, much more than I do.”

“It hurts so much,” He whispers, not even able to think of Jongwoon with someone else, feeling like a dagger has been stabbed through his heart at the mere thought of it, he can’t even bear it. “God, Henry, I don’t know how to make it stop hurting.”

Henry watches his friend break even more with sad eyes, not knowing what to do to make it better for him. Even he knows Ryeowook has no choice but to go through with this if he wants to avoid a bloodbath. But either way Ryeowook is the one who ends up with all the heartbreak, either having to live with their deaths on his hands or live knowing he'll never have true happiness. And either way, he still ends up wed to Jinseon, the Lord likely to all but chain him to the altar as vows are exchanged. 

"I'm sorry, Ryeowook, I don't know either," Henry replies honestly, shoulders sagging as he watches Ryeowook try to contain himself. "I wish I did. Neither of you deserve this, you or Jongwoon. Miss Jinseon probably doesn't either. It's just... it's an impossible situation." 

Ryeowook simply nods, closing his eyes for a long moment and taking a moment to collect himself, looking in his heart and remembering his and Jongwoon’s last kiss, his words, holding onto them with all his might and allowing them to give him strength. The memories let a small, private, smile cross his lips, and he even manages a rather shaky smile when he looks up at Henry, and the other man is looking at him like he’s almost insane, surely not expecting any shred of happiness in his eyes.

“I was able to truly be his for one night,” Ryeowook says slowly, smile still on his face. “I was able to pretend. And, that’s enough for me. It might not be tomorrow, or for the rest of my life, but for now, it’s enough to have been happy for at least that long, I consider it a gift, and I will treasure it until the day I die.”

Henry feels tears burn his eyes, the first tears in days, as realization dawns over him. "Oh, Ryeowook..." he sighs, heart breaking for his oldest friend and wishing terribly that he could just magic them all away, to a faraway place where even the Lord's army couldn't find them. Ryeowook swallows his own tears, and smiles shakily at Henry.

"Now," he says, pushing his own pain aside for Henry. "There's still some time before the ceremony, I want you to lay down here and get some proper rest. Those clothes are already wrinkled, the bastard couldn't even spare an iron..." Ryeowook trails off in a mutter, scooting Henry's legs up onto the bed and making him lie down. Henry splutters in protest, and Ryeowook swats his hands away. "Rest," he orders gently. "I'll wake you when we have to leave for the chapel."

Henry sighs when he realizes he won’t win this battle, and simply reaches for Ryeowook’s hand, squeezing it comfortingly and wishing he could simply gather Ryeowook into his arms and take away his pain. But he’s sure that if he did do that, then Ryeowook would break completely, and has the courtesy to allow him the façade of normality.

Ryeowook clutches Henry’s hand like a lifeline and smooths the younger man’s bangs away from his face, humming lightly until he falls asleep, grateful that he’s at least able to give Henry this chance to rest, not even wanting to imagine what he’s had to endure in these past few days, and hating himself for not having been able to do a damn thing to stop it.

_At least that will be able to change after this_ , he thinks to himself, happy that he’ll be at least able to save Henry from the same thing happening in the future, the one single bright spot in this entire situation. He lets his mind drift as time passes slowly, finding his thoughts lingering on what could have been, a sad smile crossing his face as he nearly dozes off himself.

A short knock on the door brings him back to reality, and he sighs, supposing his time really is up now. He shakes Henry’s shoulder gently to wake him, hating that he has to but glad to have at least given the younger man some rest, making sure he gets a good drink of water before helping him sit up, making his way to the door. 

“Times up,” He whispers softly, throat tightening again even as he vows not to cry anymore, tired, so tired, of being weak, even when all he wants to do is curl in a ball in the corner and shut out reality. He sees Henry look at him sadly and only shakes his head, opening the door to face the slave sent to fetch him. “It seems I have a wedding to get to.”

And his heart shatters completely.

...

There are many people in the chapel and not a soul that Ryeowook knows, besides Henry at his side, his uncle in the front row, and Sungmin sitting in the back with the other "invited guests" that are not of blood relation to either the bride or groom. Ryeowook's eyes scan the crowd but Jongwoon isn't there, and Ryeowook figures he can't blame him. He couldn't ask Jongwoon to come and have his heart handed to him on a platter. He _wouldn't_. 

The room is filled with excited chatter, Lords and Ladies from other regions traveling far to see such a beautiful ceremony as it was promised to be. Ryeowook feels himself trembling, hoping it's not as obvious as he feels it is, and turns to face Henry when the younger boy places a comforting hand on his shoulder, offering a sad smile to try and hold him through. And then Ryeowook feels plagued with guilt because Henry looks so exhausted still, and it doesn't escape his notice how Henry's knees are knocking slightly with the effort it takes to stay standing.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” He murmurs softly, scared to death that Henry will collapse in the middle of the ceremony and there won’t be a damned thing he’ll be able to do about it, feeling Sungmin’s eyes on the younger man as well. 

“I’m going to have to be,” Henry mumbles back, working to keep his legs from shaking and taking deep breaths, sending a hesitant smile from where he can see Sungmin. He can almost feel the worry radiating off the other man, seeing the concern in his eyes, and is rather sure the other man almost expected him to be dead. It makes him feel terrible, and he wishes he could talk to him, but position traps him, barely able to stand, next to Ryeowook.

Anything else that Henry might have said is cut off by the sounds of the organ, and Ryeowook, along with the rest of the guests, heads turn to the end of the aisle, where Jinseon walks in delicately, dressed in a beautiful white ao dai, golden intricacies matching the designs on Ryeowook’s waistcoat, arm hooked with her father’s and eyes looking nearly as empty as her groom’s.

Lord Hwang beams with pride as he spies his daughter's groom, happy to know that he is giving his daughter's hand in marriage to such an affluent young man, sure of her future now. Ryeowook tries not to grimace as the man approaches, arm in arm with his Jinseon. He pastes on a smile as Lord Hwang releases his daughter's arm, presses a kiss to her cheek, and then shakes Ryeowook's hand. 

"You're a good young man," Lord Hwang says brightly as Ryeowook offers his own hand to Jinseon, her delicate fingers slipping into his palm. Ryeowook wonders if the man even knew what had driven him to run away in the first place, wonders if he even knew that he had run away at all. "Your late father must be very proud."

_So that's the lie my uncle is spouting as to why he has me_ , Ryeowook thinks bitterly as he bows respectfully to the man, allowing his face to screw up for only a second where only the floor would know the better. "Thank you very much, sir," he says instead as he straightens, smile carefully crafted back on. "I appreciate your approval."

Lord Hwang simply nods happily and goes to sit in the front row, next to Lord Kim, and watches on as Ryeowook takes hold of Jinseon’s other hand as well, the priest beginning the service. He tries his best to apologize to Jinseon with his eyes, and sees only resignation in hers, knowing that they both feel the same and would rather be anywhere but there at that moment, their respective loves weighing heavily on their minds.

The priest says much about their respective histories and Ryeowook tunes out the useless fluff, hearing the silence echo throughout the chapel, lingering organ notes and the priest’s booming voice the only sound. He only begins to tune back in when he hears Jinseon begin to repeat the man’s words, knowing his own vows are soon upon him, burning like acid on his tongue at the thought of having to say them without meaning to this poor woman.

He tonelessly repeats after the priest when it comes to be his turn, nearly making it all the way to the end when he sees movement out of the corner of his eyes, freezing completely when he notices Jongwoon slip in through the back of the church, pressed against the wall next to the doorway, his words dying in his throat and eyes widening.

There is nothing but love in Jongwoon's eyes, he can see it shining clear across the chapel and for a split second the world stops spinning for Ryeowook. His heart skips two beats and shatters, and it's only when Jinseon squeezes his hands lightly that he collects himself, clearing his throat slightly. She sees Jongwoon, too, and knows that if Lord Kim spies him there there will likely be trouble. "I'm sorry," he says to the priest, voice breaking slightly over the lump in his throat as he forces himself to look away from Jongwoon. 

The priest smiles kindly and allows him a moment to clear his throat. "It's quite alright, it is a joyous day. It's understandable that you would easily be overwhelmed with happiness." _Not quite_ , Ryeowook thinks as he repeats his vow, voice much quieter as though he hopes to spare Jongwoon the pain. Henry looks on worriedly, meeting glances with Sungmin and gives a quick nod of his head. Sungmin subtly turns to look back and sees Jongwoon standing there, tears streaming down his otherwise stoic face, refusing to look at anyone other than Ryeowook.

Jongwoon sees the way Ryeowook’s chest heaves, obviously trying not to cry, and it’s enough for him to know that those tears are for him, even if the rest of the chapel may think they are for this supposed marriage. He wishes he could run up and grab Ryeowook, hold him and take him away from all this, kiss the tears away, but he supposes he lost that right the moment the barely audible _I do_ slipped from his lovers lips.

He has to turn away when the priest announces that they may kiss, for all his façade of strength is worth still not being able to take seeing that, and sees the pain in Ryeowook’s eyes when he looks at him when he and Jinseon part. The cathedral erupts into cheers and well wishes, but the world slows down for Jongwoon, sending all the love he can to Ryeowook in a glance, tears still dripping off his cheeks, mouthing one last _I love you_ before slipping out the doors again, knowing he won’t be able to make it much longer without being noticed, or simply running from the cathedral.

Ryeowook sees him go and wants to reach out for him, wants to cry out for him, but can merely let a few tears escape the corners of his eyes under the guise of happiness as Jinseon fakes a smile for the onlookers. They lead the procession back down the aisle, crowd following them out with cheers and claps on the back when Ryeowook passes them. Ryeowook and Jinseon have to appear at the reception back at the manor and make a toast, but after that, he plans on locking himself in his room, away from everyone for his last night alone, as he and his new bride are to move into their own home the next morning.

Henry stays behind with the priest at the altar, waiting for the crowd to die down before following them out, and spies Sungmin trying to fight his way through the throng. Suddenly a wave of invertigo hits him and it takes all of his strength to stay on his feet, hoping Sungmin will hurry because he doesn't think he'll be able to make it back without him. He figures passing out in front of the priest is probably a bad thing, and waves to Sungmin to let him know he's going to step into the back to wait for him. Sungmin nods and he stumbles to the door at the side of the pews. He barely makes it through before his head spins again and he feels the world tilting, the ground suddenly rushing up to meet him.

Sungmin sees Henry sway dangerously and nods when Henry motions to the door, hoping that no one will notice him and praying that Henry sits down as soon as he's out of sight. It's hard to move against the flow of the crowd, everyone pushing for the door as he tries to get further into the church. Finally he catches a break and makes a beeline for the door. 

He makes it there in record time and nearly collapses himself when he sees Henry on the ground, gasping for air and looking at Sungmin with pitiful eyes managing a weak smile as Sungmin drops to the ground next to him and pulls his head into his lap, stroking his hair and looking like he’s about to start crying.

“I guess I didn’t quite make it after all,” Henry says, barely audible as he feels his head spinning, darkness edging in closer in the corners of his vision. He used whatever strength he’d gained that morning to stay standing during the wedding, and it suddenly feels like it’s been pulled out from under him, relishing in at least the feel of Sungmin, trying to keep himself awake a little bit more. “I’m sorry, Sungmin.”

Sungmin’s eyes widen in shock as Henry goes limp against him, exhaustion becoming too much and he simply cradles him against him, at least happy that Henry is still _alive_ thanking Luzo with every fiber of his being, having been so sure the other man was going to be take from him. He simply sits on the floor and strokes Henry’s hair away from his face, curling over him protectively, nearly afraid to move him.

When the approaching sound of clanking footsteps echoes from down the corridor, Sungmin clutches Henry protectively to his chest, daring whoever was coming to pry Henry away from him. Whatever the guards say he's not letting Henry go back to that cell. Just as he suspects, two stone-faced guards round the corner and approach him steadily, intentions clear in their eyes. Sungmin clings ever tighter to Henry. 

"Back off," he calls out to them. "I don't know what you're here for, and quite honestly I don't care. Leave us be," he barks. One of the guards laughs, shifting his spear between his hands and the other one grasps the hilt of his sword warningly. 

"Sorry, sonny," the laughing one chortles. "We have direct orders from Lord Kim. The brat is to be returned directly to the dungeons to fill out the remainder of his sentence for kidnapping the heir. We have no qualms with you," he continues, using the butt of his spear to tilt Sungmin's chin up, eyes glaring defiantly. "So don't give us one."

"I already told you I don't care," Sungmin grits out. "Can't you see he's ill? Leave him be, you know as well as I do that Ryeowook left this hell hole of his own volition and Henry followed him to make sure he would be okay. Don't tell me you believe the fodder that man feeds you."

“Orders are orders,” The guard shrugs, and Sungmin knows that he isn’t going to win this one, wrapping his arms tight around Henry anyway and glaring black defiantly, shushing the younger man quietly when he stirs. “Our business is not with you, honored guest, so if you would so kindly hand him over then we can get back to the celebration.”

“You’ll have to pry him from my cold, dead hands,” Sungmin hisses, staring straight down the spear end and simply growling as the guard sighs, shooting a look at his companion before looking back at Sungmin, a bit of a pitying look in his eye as he slams the blunt end of the spear against Sungmin’s shoulder, forcing his grip on Henry to loosen.

“That can be arranged,” The guard says, reach down quickly and wrestling with Sungmin for a moment, kicking him in the stomach with a steel covered boot before he finally manages to get a hold on Henry, Sungmin clutching his stomach in pain, the guard throwing Henry over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “But our orders aren’t to kill you, merely retrieve the slave. I recommend you go enjoy the party, guest, and forget this underling.”

"This _underling_ is a person, and he's my friend," Sungmin shudders, stumbling to his feet and launching himself at the guard holding Henry. "I won't let you take him!" The guard with the sword catches Sungmin by his arms and yanks them down painfully, and Sungmin cries out as they pop from the force. "You bastard, he's going to die if you take him back down there! Are you willing to have innocent blood on your hands!?" he yells after the guard walking away with Henry, his companion nodding him along, silently saying he'll deal with this one.

"His sentence is life in the dungeons, and our orders are to make that life as short as possible," the second guard tells him, holding Sungmin still depsite the younger man struggling against him. "Just spare yourself the trouble and let it rest."

But Sungmin ignores him, screaming Henry's name down the corridor and paying no mind that he's in a church, until the guard takes pity on the man and cold clocks him in the back of his head to end his misery. Sungmin's eyes roll into the back of his head and he goes limp in a dead faint and the guard hoists him up similar to how his friend picked up Henry and sighs. He'll drop this one off in the guest quarters, he figures, and then will go to join his comrades in the festivities.

When Sungmin wakes up, he's not where he remembers being last and the sun is going down outside his window. As the room swims into focus he realizes it's not the cathedral, but the room he's been staying in and the memories slam back. He bolts upright, ignoring the throbbing pain in the back of his skull, scrabbles two items from his desk and slams the door open, taking off down the hallway like a shot.

_Hang on Henry,_ he thinks, _I'm coming_.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The emotional toll sets in, and the decision between fight or flight.

Ryeowook’s smile is wide as he shakes hands with the various dignitaries that come to him on the floor to make small talk, but his eyes are dead, pain hidden deep within them.

Jinseon is a saint beside him, and manages to negate the pompous men and ladies when he looks closer to breaking with each remark for his _happy marriage_. He has no idea how she manages to hide her own heartbreak and desolateness so well, seeming completely at ease, save the slightly frigid edge in her smile. She gives him a tired look when he asks, barely managing to hold himself together, wanting nothing more than to run away from all of this, hating how his stomach turns more and more with each passing moment.

“Well,” She says quietly while they dance, looking at him with sad eyes and a small sigh. “My emotions have been locked away since I stepped into this god forsaken outfit this morning. It’s understandable that it’s a bit easier for me to hold it together, though even I doubt if I’ll make it here for much longer. And I didn’t have to see the one I truly love just watch me get married, are you sure _you’re_ going to be able to make it? That was him in the back of the chapel, was it not?”

"Be glad your Knight wasn't there," he murmurs, leading her by the hand from the dance floor as the music ended. "At least he was spared the pain of seeing that. Even if he has to live that he can't have you, at least he didn't have to see it." His heart hurts just as much for Jinseon and Siwon as it does for Jongwoon and for himself, because they were in the same boat. He supposes that it's a small blessing that Siwon was spared that much.

The party seems to keep going strong, people drinking more and more in toast to the newlywed couple. Even Lord Kim and Lord Hwang begin to lose their wits a bit, Ryeowook's uncle drinking less in cheers for his nephew and niece-in-law than in victory that he got his way in the end. Jinseon really does begin to tire, her perfectly crafted smile wearing thinner and thinner with each passing moment. Ryeowook takes the opportunity to get the both of them out of there.

"Uncle, Jinseon is a bit weary," he explains in a show to the guests, who probably wouldn't remember anyway. "I'm going to escort her from the festivities so she can rest." _And so we can get the hell away from you,_ he thinks bitterly, keeping the scowl from his face and words. 

"Ahhhh, I see," Lord Hwang chimes in before Lord Kim can speak, winking overanimatedly. "Go on then, son, take my daughter to the bedroom! Consummation is the most important part of the night!"

“That’s right,” Lord Kim grins, eyes still maintaining a scheming gleam, and Ryeowook can nearly feel the uncomfortableness in the air between all of them, almost tangible as Ryeowook and Jinseon freeze. “They’re heirs to be made, I’m sure you’ll do well enough to provide me with them quickly, hm, nephew?”

Ryeowook has to hold himself back from snarling at his uncle, the man should know damn well his feelings on that, but he bites his tongue, knowing he has only a bit more to go before he can truly be alone. He almost feels sick at the thought of giving himself in such a way to someone other than Jongwoon, hardly a day having passed since he left the older man’s arms. He has to stop his hand from reaching up to his collar, and looks worriedly at Jinseon. She simply looks tired, though, deep frown finally pulling away her thin smile, not even meeting the elder Lords in the eye.

“Not this evening, Your Lordships,” Ryeowook says slowly, carefully, trying to get away as quickly as possible and giving his uncle as little excuse as he can to further his torture, taking Jinseon’s hand in his own and plastering another smile on his face. “Today has been quite a long day, and we simply wish to retire to our chambers. Though I would say it was none of your concern in any case, uncle, as you seem to know how everything shall turn out anyway.”

Lord Hwang cocks his head in confusion and Lord Kim gives Ryeowook a dangerous, warning glare that doesn't miss Jinseon's attention. Ryeowook merely grins, pleased to have gotten such a reaction from his uncle and merely bows. "Good night," he practically sings, leaving his uncle fuming with knowledge that unless he sits in the room and _forces_ them, Ryeowook will not give himself to Jinseon.

As soon as they are out of the ballroom Jinseon releases a sigh and lets her squared shoulders droop. "What was that all about?" she asks quietly as Ryeowook leads her up the grand staircase from the ballroom to his wing, the room next to his prepared for Jinseon to stay thanks to the kind, elderly slave who told him about Henry. 

"I told you, I have too much riding on this marriage to not go through with the formalities," Ryeowook explains, motioning to stop so that she can slip off her uncomfortable shoes and offering to hold them. Disapproving of this marriage though he is, it's not Jinseon's fault, and he doesn't have any reason to be anything but gentlemanly to her. "Lives are at stake, in every sense of the word. But it doesn't have to mean that we have to force ourselves further than what we've already been pushed."

“You make a good point,” She sighs softly, allowing Ryeowook to hold her shoes as they make their way towards her room, stopping outside the door and looking tiredly at each other, exhausted in every form of the word. “If only for a magic way to fix all of this, it seems much too unkind a fate for us all. What funny games that God seems to enjoy playing.”

Ryeowook shrugs weakly and smiles a bit as he hands her back the shoes, bidding her goodnight and turning as he sees her enter the prepared room, making his way slowly back to his own, a bit down the same hall, feet growing heavier with each step. He just wants to go to sleep and forget, to drown himself in every good memory he has, in hopes that he can live in them for as long as he can before being forced to return to reality, closing his door heavily behind him. He barely takes the time to remove his ceremonial dress before collapsing on the bed, allowing his emotions to break free from the barely there hold he’s had on them all day, finally coming out.

He lays awake until he has no tears left to cry, and simply stares at the ceiling, blocking out the world.

...

Jinseon sighs as she closes the door behind her, closing her eyes for a moment and leaning back against it, eyebrows shooting up when she opens them again and realizes that she isn’t alone in the room.

"I would say that it's nice to meet you," Jongwoon says from his spot across the room, leaning against the wall, "but that would make me a liar. I'm not too keen on that idea, if I'm to be honest." His eyes are guarded, his tone clipped, knowing that he's speaking to the woman who has taken Ryeowook from him. Whether or not she was willing, whether or not she's the one at fault, at the end of the day she is still the one who has him and he can't very well forget it.

"I normally would have to disagree," Jinseon says quietly, setting her shoes down next to the door and cautiously making her way to the bed to sit down and ease her aching feet. "No matter what the circumstance I always find it in myself to welcome meeting new people. Perhaps it is my upbringing but I usually enjoy company. But as I'm sure you are quite well aware today is not as joyous occasion as everyone seems to think it is."

Jongwoon nods solemnly, chewing on his tongue a little in thought, and a tense silence envelops the two of them. Jinseon waits patiently for Jongwoon to find his words, but she's exhausted and even her patience is thin. "What brings you to my quarters? Jongwoon, right? Ryeowook speaks very highly of you."

“He speaks of me?” Jongwoon raises a surprised eyebrow. Ryeowook never really did tell him how much Jinseon knew, or her entire views on their situation, only that they were in much the same circumstances. Jinseon nods tiredly and looks at him with a shred of pity, sighing deeply.

“He loves you a great deal,” She says softly, shrugging her shoulders and walking to sit in the chair next to her bed tiredly, seeing Jongwoon stiffen and wishing for nothing more than to get out of the uncomfortable clothes and have some time to herself, needing the time to be able to put herself back together. “It isn’t hard to see, especially if you were as close to him as I was in the church.”

Jongwoon sighs deeply, crossing his arms over his chest and trying to keep the pain from his voice. “That’s...part of what I wanted to talk to you about actually,” He says slowly, forcing the words from his throat, “I wanted to ask you to take care of him for me. I, I can’t really anymore, I suppose. It would seem I’ve lost that right.”

Jinseon's eyes widen and curls her fingers into the fabric of her dress. "What are you talking about?" she asks quietly, her voice laced with an incredulous tone. Surely Jongwoon isn't implying what she thinks he's implying... right? 

Jongwoon swallows thickly before he continues. "Ryeowook hasn't brought it up to me but I think he might have been expecting me to stay here with him... with the both of you," he corrects, wincing a little. "But I can't do that. For one thing, if his uncle realizes I'm still here after this is all said and done he'll begin to think things, things that aren't that untrue. And the consequences to that would be dire."

"For another..." he goes on, missing the flash of concern in Jinseon's eyes. "I... I don't think I could bear it, staying and seeing him with you. It's too much. And I hope you forgive me if I offend you, but if I'm to be perfectly honest I can barely stand the fact that you have him the way that I can't."

"I don't know how much Ryeowook has told you about me," Jinseon says quietly after a while. "But I do not love him. He's a very admirable man for doing this, giving in to that dreadful man, in order to protect the ones he loves. But me, I am not one of them. We are... husband and wife,  yes. But only in title. I see him only as an acquaintance, and maybe even a friend somewhere down the line."

“That’s not it,” Jongwoon shakes his head, sighing and tilting his head back up to meet Jinseon’s, letting her see the pain in them. “I could have guessed as much, and you may not be as obvious as Ryeowook, but it’s clear you aren’t happy with this as well.”

“It may be selfish of me, but even though I know that I have his heart, even that the tiniest bit of him doesn’t belong to me stings,” He continues softly, shrugging and cursing his own childishness, but even the thought of having to watch Ryeowook pretend to be happy with his new ‘wife’ kills him inside, and he knows that no matter what Ryeowook may say, he wouldn’t be happy with that arrangement either. “It will probably be best for everyone if I just removed myself entirely.”

“Where will you go?” Jinseon says softly, guilt eating away at her as she sees the lost look in Jongwoon’s eyes, knowing the other man is barely holding it together. She can’t say she blames him though, not knowing if even she would be able to watch the one she loved be given away to another, and is thankful that Siwon was spared from that fate.

“There’s a house we were staying at before here,” Jongwoon says weakly, memories of mere weeks ago filling him, and he has to hold back a sigh, wondering how differently things could have turned out. “As far as I know, it’s still under Ryeowook’s ownership. I should be able to stay there, at least for awhile.”

"And if not?" Jinseon presses, worried about this man though she hardly knows him. The look of utter defeat and brokenness on his face worries him -- she knows he has a friend here other than Ryeowook, but from the way he's talking it's as if he plans to go alone, and should he run any problems while he's out on his own... She knows how ruthless the Lord's army is in his own jurisdiction, and other regions don't fare much better. "What happens if you can't stay there?" 

Jongwoon smiles wryly. He figures that this Jinseon is a nice enough woman, and hopes that she'll take care of Ryeowook well. "It's not something you should concern yourself with," he replies quietly. "Just take care of Ryeowook, and I'll be fine. Which brings me to the other reason why I'm here..." He fishes into his vest and pulls out an envelope, Ryeowook's name penned neatly on the front.

"Would you be so kind as to deliver this to Ryeowook for me? I know I'm asking a lot of you tonight, but I assure you this is the last request. You'll not see me again after tonight, I can assure you."

“And I’d prefer if you didn’t read it either, the words written there are only for him, I’d rather that no one else saw them.” He says, slightly apologetic, but firm in his words. He tried his best to write everything he could think of the Ryeowook would need to hear from him to write there, all of his feelings on a simple piece of parchment.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Jinseon says tiredly, accepting that nothing will convince the man of abandoning his persistent endeavor, seeing the determination shining in his eyes. “I won’t intrude on something so private between the two of you. I’ll respect your wishes, Jongwoon, but I really must ask, are you sure this is what you want to do?”

Jongwoon nods resolutely, staring back into Jinseon’s eyes as he passes her the envelope. He’s made his decision already and has no room for second guessing, knowing that no matter how much pain it may cause them right now, it’s the safest for Ryeowook in the long run. And as long as Ryeowook is safe, then he can at least draw some comfort from that. He can only hope that Ryeowook won’t hate him too much for saying his goodbyes in a letter, knowing he’d cave in to whatever the younger man demanded if he were to say it to him in person, wanting to spare Ryeowook the agony that he could.

Jinseon sighs quietly, taking the letter and placing it on the bedside table, next to the unlit oil lamp, the room lit with the dying glow of the sun. "When are you leaving?" she asks, wondering which was the right thing to do -- go straight to Ryeowook and tell him, knowing her 'husband' will probably be broken beyond repair if his lover left without a word, or side with Jongwoon and give him a bit of a headstart.

"Tonight," Jongwoon replies, and Jinseon isn't very surprised. She had expected this much, with Jongwoon's decision to say goodbye to his most loved one with paper words, wanting to leave before his heart made him change his mind.

She nods at him, shutting her eyes and wincing internally at what’s sure to be Ryeowook’s reaction when she gives him that letter, being able to guess at at least some of what it’s sure to say. She already knows how fragile his state of mind is, and is rather sure that this would push the young man over the edge.

“I’m not going to try and change your mind,” She says softly, looking at him with some curiosity in her eyes. “And I certainly haven’t known him for very long, but you are aware that you doing this will most likely break him, right? I just want to make sure you know the likely consequences of your choices, Jongwoon.”

"I'm well aware," Jongwoon retorts in a clipped tone, unintentionally harsh. "But Ryeowook made his decision in an attempt to protect us. This is my decision to protect him from more pain in the future. Maybe it's selfish of me to leave without saying anything but in the end, it's best this way."

It's clear he's done discussing the matter, so he bows and excuses himself with a murmured farewell. Jinseon frowns as she watches him turn to leave, suddenly calling out to him when his hand hits the doorknob. "By the way," she says softly. "When Ryeowook and I were discussing things before all of this, he made it expressly clear to my father that the land he was giving was not to be mined at all. He mentioned, as he put it, 'friends who practically lived' in them. Were you one of those friends, by any chance?"

“I was,” Jongwoon says, not turning around as he remembers his home, his parents and Jongjin, a small stab of guilt ripping through his heart, and he wonders if they still even think about him anymore. “And I know of that agreement, it was the main reason Ryeowook wouldn’t just run away from all of this with me.”

Jongwoon doesn’t elaborate further and Jinseon doesn’t press, simply biting her lip in worry. She’d feared this would be the case, but was still holding some hope against it before asking the man.

“I heard my father discussing my dowry with Lord Kim this morning,” She says slowly, wanting to make sure that Jongwoon hears each of her words before running off. “And from his words, Lord Kim still has every intention of mining that stretch of land, it seems that he is willing to go back on his promise to do it.”

Jongwoon goes stiff as a board, eyes widening though Jinseon can't see them. A million thoughts run through his head so quickly that he can't even begin to grasp a cohesive one long enough to comprehend it. The image of his parents, of Jongjin, of everyone he knew growing up being killed on account of greed and he feels his heart stop. 

_But what can I do?_ he think resignedly, the hand not clutching the doorknob clenching into a tight fist. _They probably think us dead, or traitors if they even believe we're still alive._ "Ryeowook... has already done enough on our behalf," Jongwoon whispers, closing his eyes to fight back tears and silently praying to Luzo that if indeed his family dies to welcome them with open arms. "Tell him not to put himself into more trouble if Lord Kim is insistent on mining there."

“But, Jongwoon-” Jinseon begins to argue, sure that this can’t really be how the man feels, even from only knowing him a short time. She may not know completely why Ryeowook was so insistent on there being no mining, but she can tell that it is an important reason, not something to be waved away so easily. Before she can continue though, Jongwoon turns around suddenly, bowing deeply.

“It was good to meet you, Miss Jinseon,” He says quickly, straightening and not sparing her a last glance, opening the door and stepping back out into the hall, mind still racing and wanting to simply rush back to his room and gather his few things, to tell Sungmin and leave as soon as he can. “I trust that you will do what I asked of you, I cannot thank you enough for that. Good night.”

"Wait--" Jinseon tries, but Jongwoon shuts the door with a decided click, cutting her off. She sighs heavily, standing from the bed and starting to strip herself of the ceremonial dress, worry for Ryeowook and Jongwoon plaguing her. She hardly knows them but they can't be bad people, constantly putting the other before themselves, and it hurts her heart to see such an awful decision be placed on their shoulders.

She wants to curse her father for being partially at fault, but she knows he was only acting out of love for her, wanting to secure her a good future. No, she decides, misplaced blame will do no good. Lord Kim is entirely at fault, at least for the mining situation, for lying through his teeth in order to get what he wants. And she can't help but think innocent people will pay the price for it.

She only prays to God that that doesn't happen.

...

Sungmin is quite sure he’s never run so fast in his entire life, racing through the hallways and uncaring of who sees him. As far as he figures, anyone who tries to get in his was at this point is suicidal, fully armed guard or not, he refuses to let anyone or anything stand in his way this time. But he thinks he might have gained another miracle, as the halls are completely empty, and he can hear the loud echoes of the wedding reception still, even in the dungeon.

The thought makes him snort, guards having obviously decided the offer of free drinks and merriment a higher calling than guarding the prisoners, but he thanks Luzo for it, quickening his pace until he turns the corner to where he knows Henry’s cell to be, praying that the few hours that he was unconscious haven’t cost him the younger man’s life.

The torch in the hallway is thankfully bright, the burned out wick probably replaced when the guards brought Henry down here earlier, and it makes picking the lock a little easier. His violently shaking hands don't help, though, praying he doesn't break the pick or slice his fingers on the knife. "Henry, can you hear me?" he calls, focusing on the lock while he speaks, the metal rattling against itself as he tries and fails several times to pick the lock.

"Damn it," Sungmin curses on the fourth try, taking a deep breath. Henry never replies, and Sungmin prays that's only still unconscious -- he doesn't want to think about the alternative. "Just hang on Henry, I'm almost there," he assures, thanking Luzo when the lock finally clicks and he is able to rotate the tumbler enough to pop it open.

Sungmin feels the bile rising in his throat when he sees the state of Henry’s cell, tiny and filthy, the small bowl of water that Henry had spoken of sitting in the corner and completely bone dry. Henry himself is curled into himself in the corner, and Sungmin has to stop himself from sobbing with joy when he rushes next to him and sees the shallow rise and fall of his chest, thanking Luzo that he wasn’t too late.

“Don’t worry, Henry,” He whispers, smoothing the hair back from Henry’s face, willing his hands to stop shaking, adrenaline still surging through him as he hooks one of his arms under Henry’s knees, the other under his arms and tentatively pulling him against him, standing quickly. “You’ll be okay, I won’t let anything happen to you now.”

Henry doesn't even stir, completely limp in Sungmin's arms and head lolling to the side. Sungmin shifts his arm so it's more under Henry's shoulder and his head is more supported, trying to hold Henry as comfortably as possible as he steps sideways through the narrow door. The raucous laughter from the ballroom seems to mock him and the distance between the dungeon and the guest chambers has never seemed so far. 

Thankfully, Luzo seems to be guiding his way, as he doesn't run into a single soul until he gets to his bedroom, and he presses a kiss to Henry's forehead as he gently sits him down on the floor next to the door so he can get it open. Jongwoon isn't in the room, but Sungmin doesn't really spare a thought to where his friend might be, focused on getting Henry into the room and on to his bed.

His hands are still shaking as he picks Henry back up, walking him over and setting him gently on his bed, leaving him for only a moment to go and close the door again, quickly rushing back to the younger man’s side and making him as comfortable as he can against the pillows. Henry begins to stir slightly at all the movement, and Sungmin grabs the glass of water from his bedside table, trying to coax Henry into a state of awareness.

“Come on, Henry,” He murmurs worriedly, running his free hand through Henry’s hair and gently scratching his scalp, seeing the younger man’s eyes open slowly, looking infinitely tired and about to fall back to sleep at any moment. “You need to drink something, you can’t sleep more yet.”

"Min?" Henry murmurs and Sungmin's heart soars at hearing Henry's voice, even if it is raspy and dry. "Where..." he starts, voice trailing off and he has to swallow to get his voice working again. "Where are we? This isn't the church, right?" 

Sungmin smiles gently, hiding the pain in his eyes in knowing that Henry has been unconscious since the time the guards took him away. He supposes that it's a small blessing, that Henry doesn't recall being taken to the dungeon. He probably would have had a mental breakdown if he did. "We're in my room, Henry. You're safe now. I won't let them take you away again."

A small smile crosses Henry’s face as he hears Sungmin’s words, nearly ready to cry at not having woken up in the dungeon to a guard harassing him, but instead to Sungmin’s concerned eyes, a comforting hand running through his hair. He has to stop himself from drinking too quickly when Sungmin presses the glass to his chapped lips, liquid feeling like a blessing on his parched throat.

“This isn’t a dream, right, Sungmin?” He says nervously, lingering fear still in his mind. It all feels real, but he never knows what to trust anymore, catching Sungmin’s hand and pulling it against his cheek, voice feeling a bit stronger now. “I won’t wake up back in the dungeons, will I?”

"Never again," Sungmin reassures, keeping up with the gentle strokes in Henry's hair with the hand Henry isn't clinging to. "They will take you away from me again over my dead body and I've still got a long life ahead of me." Henry smiles wider and leans into Sungmin's touch, draining the last of the water and laying back against the pillows. 

"I'm glad I have you, Min," Henry murmurs as his eyes drift back shut. "I don't know where I would be without you. I really love you a lot." Sungmin wants to cry and coo and smile at Henry's words at the same time, and settles for squeezing Henry's hand.

“I love you too,” Sungmin says softly, watching the way Henry’s eyelids droop and knowing that it’s exhaustion pulling at the younger man, not death. He sees the small smile on Henry’s lips and is glad to see it, hoping he won’t have to see much more of the desolate expressions he’s had to see on the younger man’s face the past week now. “But get some rest, okay? I’ll find some food for you, and we’ll see what we can do when you wake up.”

Henry shakes his head weakly as sleep pulls him under, holding Sungmin’s hand tighter and murmuring against it, going limp a moment later, tight grip still maintained on Sungmin’s. “Don’t leave me,” He mumbles, whining a bit as Sungmin’s hand stills in his hair. “I want you with me, Min.”

Sungmin chuckles at the show of childishness, moving his hand again to resume stroking Henry's hair, and Henry sighs in content and lets his eyes close without further argument, drifting back into the most comfortable sleep he's had since that first night they returned to the manor. Sungmin keeps stroking, even after Henry falls into a deep slumber, not worrying about anything now. Henry is here with him, and he's _alive_ \-- everything else seems inconsequential right now.

The door clicks open some time later -- it could have been minutes, or hours, Sungmin wasn't really paying attention -- and Jongwoon slips into the room. Sungmin hardly looks at him, raising his head to acknowledge his friend's entrance, but he has to do a double-take when he sees the dark look on Jongwoon's face. "What's wrong?"

“What’s wrong?” Jongwoon says, almost incredulously, and Sungmin has to wonder if his friend has finally gone crazy, all of the events of the past few days finally coming over him. “Everything, Sungmin, that’s what’s wrong. I’ve lost the love of my life, the woman I’ve lost him to I can’t even hate, and what I’m about to do will surely break any small part of Ryeowook that is still in tact. And to top it all off, that damn Lord has gone back on his word and I _cannot_ deal with this, Sungmin, I just can’t.”

“His word?” Sungmin begins to feel dread in his stomach, and only hopes he isn’t right about what Jongwoon is insinuating. Henry begins to stir from Jongwoon’s shouting and Sungmin shushes him, keeping his hand running through his hair and wanting to let the young man have some undisturbed rest. “What are you talking about, Jongwoon? What’s happened?”

"The bastard decided he wanted to mine anyway," Jongwoon growls, reaching into one of the wardrobes and pulling out a cloth sack from inside. He had prepare a bundle of food to last him the three day journey to the Port Town, and washed the clothes that he had been wearing the day they were all captured. He pulls the fancy shirt over his head and throws it viciously at the wall, before reaching for his old shirt.

Sungmin's eyes widen. "You can't be serious," he breathes, hand stilling in Henry's hair and heart beginning to pound. "But he can't, that land was given to Ryeowook and he's already made it clear...!" He eyes the bag on the bed warily as Jongwoon strips himself of the pants and shoes lent to him too. 

"Do you really think that would have stopped him?" Jongwoon bites, whirling around to face his friend as he pulls his old trousers back on. "And the worst thing about it all is, we can't do a damn thing to stop it."

“Like hell we can’t!” Sungmin can’t help the anger he feels at the thought of Jongwoon giving up on fighting against something like the fate of people they’d known their entire lives, their families, just like that. “There has to be something we can do, we can’t just give up like that, Jongwoon! Does Ryeowook know?”

“No, I only know because Jinseon just told me,” Jongwoon growls, pulling the old shirt over his head as well, glaring at Sungmin. “And do you honestly think there’s anything we could do about it now? Even if Ryeowook knew, he’s in no position to change anything, you know that, Sungmin.”

“Jongwoon, these are our _families_ ,” Sungmin says incredulously, getting off the bed to be eye level with Jongwoon, disbelieving of what he’s hearing, seeing Henry stir even more on the bed but knowing this can’t be helped, he won’t just let this matter drop. “We cannot do nothing and just watch them die! You can’t run away from this, we need to _do_ something!”

"So you can honestly tell me that because my father condemned us, that the town condemned us, that it makes it okay to condemn them too?" Sungmin growls, wondering where the friend he knew so well disappeared to, replaced with this spiteful, depressed man. "You can honestly stand there and tell me you don't care if Jongjin dies?" 

"I told you," Jongwoon says forcefully, tying off the knapsack with more force than necessary. "There's nothing that we can do. Ryeowook has already done too much, just to keep us three alive. I'm not going to put him in danger for an impossible cause on their behalf. I just can't." He shoulders the knapsack and it becomes quite clear to Sungmin what Jongwoon's intentions are.

"So you're _leaving_? That's your solution? Where do you even plan to go?" Sungmin's blood boils and he has to restrain himself not to call his best friend a coward, because he knows he's not, even if he's acting like one right now.

“Why does it matter?” Jongwoon bites back, hating how the storm inside of him just intensifies. Sungmin should know that if he thought that there was something they could do then he would do it, but he can’t see anything that they can do just themselves, and frankly, that’s all they have. “It’s not a solution, but it’s the best I have. Do you have some miracle left to suggest instead, oh wise one?”

“So you’ll just abandon us? You’re acting like a child, Jongwoon!” Sungmin reels, unbelieving that Jongwoon would actually say such things, so unwilling to even try to do something to save their people. “We could at least go warn them, even if we can’t stop the mining, or talk to-”

“Don’t you get it, Sungmin?” Jongwoon throws his hands in the air, sick of having to defend his choices and oh so close to just punching him, holding his fists tight at his side. He notices Henry sitting up blearily out of the corner of his eye, but can’t bring himself to care. “We’d be killed if we went back, they’d never listen to us! It’s beyond our control now, or you can count me out of this at least.”

"I understand that you're hurting, but I never took you for the vindictive type, Jongwoon," Sungmin says lowly, eyes narrowing. "But maybe I've been wrong about you all along. So go! Go ahead and run away! Because that will solve everything!"

There is only a split second where everything reaches a fever pitch -- the capture, the wedding, dealing with the Lord and learning that his family will most likely perish -- before Jongwoon snaps. He is across the room in a flash and in the blink of an eye Sungmin is on the floor, Jongwoon punching the daylights out of him. Sungmin takes a few good hits to the face before he starts swinging back.

Henry can't believe what he's seeing, stunned for a few moments as he sees them go at it. In all the times he's known them, he's only seen them seriously _argue_ maybe twice, but other than playful bickering that was as bad as it got. It's when he sees the blood on Sungmin's lip that he finally snaps out of it, jumping from the bed and fumbling for Jongwoon's arms. "Stop it, _stop it_!!"

Jongwoon snaps out of it when he hears Henry yelling, pulling away immediately as the red haze clears from his mind, instantly feeling guilty. He’s sure he’ll have a nice bruise on his cheek in the morning, but Sungmin’s lip looks almost split, the other man spatting blood on the floor, Henry looking absolutely terrified.

“I’m sorry,” Jongwoon whispers, looking straight at the ground and slumping there, not willing to meet Sungmin’s eyes yet, feeling ashamed of himself. “I just don’t see what I can do, Sungmin. I know it’s cowardly, but I just can’t take it anymore, I don’t know what’s left for me to do. You should know that I wouldn’t run away from all this if I could see another option, but I don’t.”

Sungmin doesn’t speak for a moment, wiping the back of his hand over his lip to get rid of some of the blood, smiling weakly at Henry to show him he’s okay, the younger man looking ready to work himself into a fit, hands checking over Sungmin to make sure he’s okay everywhere, eyes concerned.

"If you really feel that way, then just go," he says coldly, turning back to Jongwoon's slouched form on the floor across from him as he gets to his feet. "Luzo help you, Jongwoon, that you would let this happen without a fight. And so help me, if they die I hope Luzo forgives you because I don't think I ever will."

"Sungmin," Henry says pleadingly, knowing how helpless Jongwoon must feel right now and thinking his lover is being unnecessarily harsh on the poor man. Jongwoon just lost the love of his life, on top of, for all intents and purposes, losing his family too. If God forbid he should lose his best friend, too... Henry doesn't think that Jongwoon will be able to take such complete and utter loneliness.

“Don’t be so cruel to him,” He says softly, seeing the way Jongwoon’s shoulders shake and knows he must be on the verge of crying, surely feeling crushed by the feelings of being completely alone, and Henry can empathize, knowing the feeling of being alone in the world. “You don’t know how he feels, Min.”

Jongwoon feels the rest of his heart crack at Sungmin’s words and wants nothing more than to curl up and die, knowing that he’d never forgive himself if he knew there was some way of saving Jongjin, saving his family, that he passed up. But he can’t see any way of doing it, and doesn’t see Sungmin saying anything helpful beyond cutting him down.

“I’m sorry that I can’t do anything right,” He whispers, blinking back tears as he feels even his best friend leave him. “I’m sorry I’m a coward, I’m sorry that I’m just not strong enough to fight anymore, and I’m sorry that I just can’t be good enough, is that enough for you, Sungmin?”

Sungmin doesn't say anything -- to be honest, he doesn't know how to respond to that -- and Jongwoon has to bite his lip to keep himself from crying. Instead he takes a shaky breath, pulling himself to his feet, grabbing at the sack on the bed and making for the door. "You won't have to deal with me anymore, then."

"Jongwoon, wait...!" Henry calls, but the door slams shut and Jongwoon is gone by the time Henry gets to it and jumps out to the hallway. Henry sighs worriedly, stepping back into the room, where Sungmin is still staring at the spot where Jongwoon was sitting. "Sungmin... how could you say that to him?"

“Do you know what it feels like to be completely alone in the world?” He says quietly, feeling tears burn at the back of his eyes, almost feeling a dizzy spell come over him and hating how weak he is, wishing he could run down the hallway and drag Jongwoon back, but knowing he wouldn’t make it far out the door. “Sungmin, he’s just had the entire rug of his life pulled out from beneath him, how could you take away the last thing he had left?”

Sungmin glances over and sees the way Henry’s knees shake, the tears gathered at the corner of his eyes and feels even guiltier, already regretting his words to Jongwoon. He has half a mind to run after Jongwoon himself, and knows he has no answer to Henry’s words, because he’s never been completely alone, not like Henry had, and now Jongwoon.

"Just... go back to sleep, Henry," Sungmin mutters, knowing he's made the mess of this whole situation even worse and runs a frustrated hand through his hair with a forced sigh. "He just needs some time to cool off. He'll come back, and I'll apologize to him."

"What if he doesn't?" Henry whispers, terrified. He remembers when Hangeng took him back to the the old shack where he kept all of his slaves, the only thing that he could think about was seeing Whitney being slaughtered in front of him, and imagining the things that they did to his parents, to his brother. It was enough to make him want to end his own life, even at seven years old, but Hangeng kept a watchful eye on him, even when he didn't think he was looking. "What will you do if he doesn't come back?"

"Damn it, I know I was wrong Henry!" Sungmin snaps, and when Henry flinches he sighs again. "I'm sorry. I just... I didn't agree with him, that there is nothing we can do to stop this mining from happening. I shouldn't have said those things to him."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Henry says quietly, sitting on Sungmin's bed. "And you know it."

“I know,” He whispers, and he hates how his emotions can take hold on him, knowing he shouldn’t have run his mouth like that but being unable to do anything about it short of going back in time. He only prays that Jongwoon will come back soon, knowing that Henry is angry at him too, pacing back and forth in the room, feeling the eyes on him. “I really do. There’s nothing for it now though, I’m just praying he’ll come back, he has to, Jongwoon is still Jongwoon, no matter how he feels right now.”

“And, I’m sorry, Henry,” He says tentatively, stepping over to sit on the bed next to the other man, seeing him still looking at the ground, not meeting his eyes, and seeming scared and conflicted, no doubt still terrified for the eldest of their group, having watched him shatter in front of their eyes. And all while knowing all too well how he feels, experience probably dredging up memories that he’d rather stay hidden. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that, this all just...very hard.”

Henry glances over and sees the conflict in Sungmin's eyes, and sighs. Sungmin is clearly beating himself up for saying those things to Jongwoon, and probably trying to dig somewhere in his brain for a solution to this problem. Jongwoon was indeed right about one thing -- if they _did_ chance going back to his and Sungmin's village, they would probably either drown before they made it (the river would probably be frozen over anyway at this time of the year) or they would be killed on the spot once they made it. But Henry knows Sungmin well enough to know that he'll probably try anyway.

"We'll go see Ryeowook first thing in the morning," Henry finally suggests, slipping a tentative arm around Sungmin's waist and burying his face into the older man's shoulder, letting Sungmin know he's forgiven. "The Lord will be out of commission until morning, he's a particularly generous drinker, so we'll have some time before he sends the orders out. That will give Jongwoon some time to cool down. Until then, Ryeowook will know what to do. For now, let's get some rest and put this awful day behind us."

Sungmin sags in relief as Henry burrows into his shoulder, leaning his own head against Henry’s and sighing, guilt and worry still eating at him. He only dares to hope that Ryeowook will know what to do with this mess, slowly shifting and bringing Henry along with him, until they’re lying down on the bed, Henry’s head tucked into his neck.

“I hope you’re right,” He murmurs softly, pressing a kiss to Henry’s hair before letting his eyes close, feeling Henry’s arms wrap themselves tightly behind his shoulders, holding the younger man tightly against him. He rubs soothing circles over Henry’s back, and sighs softly, wanting nothing more than to sleep and forget, thinking that this may have been one of the longest days in his entire life. “Just get some sleep, okay, Henry? I might have to carry you to Ryeowook’s room at this rate, don’t think I didn’t see how your knees were shaking just from standing there.”

Henry merely nods and pulls Sungmin closer, trying not to think of where Jongwoon could have gone to and hoping that at least he didn't leave the manor. The thought of being cold and alone brings up too many unpleasant memories and he scoots even closer to Sungmin, comforted by his warmth. _Please, God, let Jongwoon be okay. Let his and Sungmin's family be okay_ , he prays.

_Let us all be okay._   



	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryeowook will take no more.

Ryeowook has barely begun to drift into an uneasy sleep when he hears sharp knocking on his door, mind racing at who it could be at this hour. He calls a weak _come in_ and hates how his heart sinks when he sees Jinseon slip inside, door closing lightly behind her. He hates that some tiny part of him had hoped it would be Jongwoon, come to whisk him away to some mythical land where all of this could disappear, even if he knew their final night’s door had already closed on them.

“Yes?” He says tiredly, wanting to simply be alone and wondering what could have caused Jinseon to seek him out again, raising an eyebrow at how outright nervous she looks, clutching an envelope in her hands and not meeting Ryeowook’s eyes, seeming hesitant about even being there. “How can I help you, Miss Jinseon?”

Jinseon shifts uneasily on her feet, straightening out her sleeping gown before finally looking up to meet Ryeowook's gaze, holding out the envelope for him to take. "Jongwoon came to visit me," she says quietly, not missing how Ryeowook tenses at the name. "He asked me to deliver this to you."

Ryeowook feels a sense of dread washing over him as he opens the letter with shaky fingers, seeing his name printed across the top of the first page in neat handwriting. There are three pages in all, all in the same nice script of Jongwoon's. "Before I read this, I want to ask you if you know what it says." 

Jinseon shakes her head. "No, I don't. He made it specifically clear that what is written on those pages is meant for your eyes only. Though I have some idea of what it might say..." she adds in a quiet murmur. Ryeowook looks are her inquiringly, but she doesn't say any more than that. "Should I... leave you to that, then?" she asks timidly, not sure what reaction he might have to the letter.

“No,” Ryeowook shakes his head, speaking slowly but firmly. He’s almost afraid of what the letter would say, and what might happen after he reads it, not quite trusting himself or his emotional state. He’s also sure he might have some questions, and if Jinseon had spoken to Jongwoon before he gave her this, there’s always the slim chance she could have some answers for him. “Stay, you came here to deliver this for him, right? Might as well see the whole thing through, hm?”

Jinseon nods slowly, and he feels his heart crack at the look of pity in her eyes, before looking down at the letter, ink neatly curling in a script he knows only to be Jongwoon’s, hardly a smudge on the paper. He takes a shaky breath and begins to read, hoping that he can manage to hold himself together.

_Ryeowook,_

_First of all, I’m sorry I’m such a coward. I should be telling you all of this to your face, but I know if I were to try and tell you this, or even see you one more time, I’d never be able to go through with this._

_It seems like such a long time ago that we first met, doesn't it? That day was the day my life changed completely, you know. I'm still convinced, even now, that you were an angel falling from the sky. Because if it weren't for you showing up in my life I would never have known the true beauty of the world. I would have been stuck in my secluded little world and never known what really was out there. Luzo, or God, or whoever is up there, he sent you to me that day. I truly believe that._

_But here, our paths that have crossed must split again. You made your decision to marry Jinseon in order to protect us. Me, and Sungmin and Henry... I can understand that. I just hope that you understand, this is me making my decision to protect you this time. I know for a fact that if I stayed here, and your uncle believed for a second that we were still together that it would not end well, for anyone._

_Please don't regret that things happened the way they did. It breaks my heart that we cannot be together, and I would trade anything if it meant that I could spend the rest of my life with you. But you were right, being selfish isn't an option now. What we had, the time that we did spend together, I'm grateful for it. I've never been happier, even though our time was so short. I think you taught me how to really live, how to appreciate every minute of happiness you come by. I will treasure those days for as long as I live._

_I hope that you won’t hate me for this, but it’s something that I have to do. I still mean every word that I told you last night, Ryeowook. I love you with everything that I have, and I’ll never regret giving myself to you like that. Do you know how hard it was for me to leave that morning? It killed me inside to have to leave you there, to ignore your request. I wish we could have another day, another month, another year, but it seems that fate is conspiring against us._

_Which is why I have to go. You know there isn’t much that I wouldn’t do for you, Ryeowook, but I’m afraid that I cannot stay here. How I wish I could have protested during your wedding, and I’m so sorry to have made you cry more tears for me. I think we’ve cried for each other enough in this past week to last a lifetime, haven’t we? It’s funny, even now as I think of all our time together, it’s hard not to taste the salt on my lips. What a pair we are._

_As I’m sure you know by now, I’m writing this letter to tell you I’m leaving. And that I love you, so much, everything about you. There are so many other things that I cannot even put into words that I want to tell you, Luzo knows, if only I had more time. And please, don’t stop smiling, okay, Ryeowook? You’re really beautiful when you smile, not enough people get to see it._

Ryeowook can't stop the tears that start to stream down his face as he sees the already dried tear splotches on the second page, blurring the ink and making it barely legible in places. Jinseon watches silently as his eyes scan back and forth, heart tugging for the poor man as he reaches his breaking point, turning to the last page with a violently trembling hand.

_I have already asked Jinseon to take care of you, and I hope that you will be kind to her. Don't take out your anger at your uncle on her -- she may be among the few allies you have left. Whether or not you love her, she's a good woman for you. Also, take good care of Henry and Sungmin. I know already that you care for Henry like a brother, and I hope that you can do the same for him. But I'm not worried about that, I know I'm leaving my best friend in capable hands._

_I guess this is the part where I say goodbye. I know I'm hurting you now, but I only pray that the hurt will gradually heal over time. Lean on the ones still close to you, Ryeowook. You don't have to shoulder the world on your own. And know that no matter where I am, how far away I go, you are and always will be the only one who holds my heart._

_Farewell,  
Jongwoon._

_Oh, and Ryeowook, please spare us both the pain of having to go through this twice. Don't look for me._

Ryeowook can’t stop the sob that tears from his throat when he finishes, eyes running over the words over and over again, unable to even believe it because they mean that _Jongwoon is gone and he isn’t going to come back_. He thought he would be able to go through with this, but he thought he would at least be able to see Jongwoon, as delusional a hope as it may seem. The last line feels like a punch to the gut, and he simply sobs harder, because how can Jongwoon just expect to leave like that and not have him follow?

“But I want more than your heart,” He whispers to himself, feeling that even if any part of his heart had remained intact, it had just been stomped on. And even if Jongwoon were to ever stop hurting, he knows that he never will. “I want _you_.”

“Ryeowook?” Jinseon ventures hesitantly, seeing Ryeowook’s white knuckled grip on the paper and wincing at the emptiness in the man’s eyes when his head snaps up to look at her, tears streaming down his face, looking for all the part completely broken. She had hoped Jongwoon would be wrong in his prediction, but it seems to have been tragically accurate. 

“Did you know that he was going to do this?” Ryeowook whispers, swallowing hard past the lump in his throat, clutching the letter to his chest and looking Jinseon in the eye, needing to know. “That he was going to leave?”

Jinseon bites her lower lip hesitantly, seeing the frenzied, heartbroken glint in his eyes, before sighing. "I had no idea until he came to see me tonight, about an hour and a half, two hours ago. I would have come to you sooner," she adds quickly, sure to be protests dying in Ryeowook's throat. "But I was writing a letter of my own to send out to the Palace. Your uncle is a despicable man, and I'm trying to go to a higher authority than him and _do_ something about this."

Ryeowook feels his throat close up on the spot. Clearly Jinseon knows something he doesn't. "What has he done?" he breathes. "What aren't you telling me, Jinseon?" Normally Ryeowook would at least keep his formalities about him but he's too panicked right now to care.

"He plans on going through with the lueuror mining," Jinseon replies, trying to keep Ryeowook calm. "And I know how much you were against it, there's obviously more to it than you just worrying about the conditions of mining. I promised Jongwoon that I would do my best to take care of you, and I'm trying my best. I wrote a letter to Siwon, and with any luck he'll be able to bring the law of the King's men down upon Lord Kim."

“He _what_ ,” Ryeowook hisses eyes widening in disbelief. He knew there was a chance his uncle could go back on his word, but after all he’s gone through to try and prevent this, doing everything possible to appease the man, it seems impossible that he could even think of breaking their deal. “How dare--, how can he go against our deal like this, I’ve given up _everything_ so that none of this would happen. I let him take everything from me so that they would all be safe, _how can he do this_?”

“Ryeowook, I-” Jinseon says quickly, seeing the slightly wild look in Ryeowook’s eyes, tears still streaming down his cheeks and obviously broken completely, trying to calm him down before he gets himself worked up any more. The words are hardly out of her mouth, though, before Ryeowook is rushing past her, letter dropped on the floor and slamming the door behind him, only a small whisper of _I can’t let this happen_ following him, leaving her alone in the room.

She sighs and walks to sit heavily on Ryeowook’s bed, hoping that the man isn’t off to do anything too drastic and realizing that this is something he needs to do, something she shouldn’t interfere with.

“Sorry, Jongwoon,” She murmurs, looking out the window and seeing the stars dotting the sky, still glowing brightly and unawares of anything that is happening around those they are shining on. “I don’t think I can take care of him as well as you can.”

“He still needs you.”

...

Ryeowook finds himself outside his uncle's bedroom before he even realizes he left his room in the first place. It's almost as if, the moment the words left Jinseon's mouth, his mind shut down and his body acted of its own volition, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he slams the door open.

Half of him expected the man to still be drinking downstairs in the ballroom, celebrating his seemingly total victory over his nephew, so it's almost surprising to see the man actually in his room, still dressed to the nines in his finest attire. Still, Ryeowook gets some satisfaction over the completely surprised look that crosses over the Lord's face, before it turns into a smirk.

“Ah, nephew,” He says snidely, grinning at Ryeowook in a way that makes his blood boil, fists shaking at his side and barely restrained anger showing through on his face, something that only seems to spur his uncle on. “What brings you here to my chambers? Shouldn’t you be tending to the needs of your _wife_?”

“You bastard,” Ryeowook whispers, ignoring the Lord’s words and working to keep his hands at his sides, trying not to let the rage burning inside him take over completely, having the sense to at least try and confirm Jinseon’s words first. “How _dare_ you go back on our deal, I thought you gave me your word! Are you really such a snake that you would disregard a promise so easily? You have taken _everything_ from me, my family, my love, and now you will not even honor one simple thing, all for your endless greed? Is it true that you are going to mine anyway?”

"So you heard," the Lord replies as though there was nothing to be concerned about. "I'm surprised you even believed that deal to begin with. The land in that dowry is useless unless it is to be mined. You didn't _honestly_ think I would marry you off if there wasn't something in it for me. You know, besides the fact that I'll get more heirs out of this." Ryeowook's face contorts to one of disgust and the Lord laughs. "And you can't do a thing about it. Don't think that I don't know why you don't want to mine there."

Ryeowook's eyes widen as the Lord continues, smirk only growing on the man's face. "I'm sure you've heard about the legend of the exiles from our country's past. Their hair was dyed black as night so that if they ever set foot in our lands again they would be immediately recognizable. After a while they stopped trying to come back, and legend has it they started their own community somewhere to the south. Mining there would ruin their lives, wouldn't it?"

Ryeowook is in motion before he can even think about it, fist smashing into the Lord’s face with all his might, the man looking beyond surprised as he falls to the ground, blood coming from his nose as Ryeowook holds him down, unrestrained fury shining in his eyes, lip curled back in disbelief.

“You son of a bitch,” He hisses, one hand curled around the Lord’s neck and the other brought back behind him, ready to slam it back down if necessary. The rational side of his mind has completely shut down and he’s relying on instinct, thoughts racing through his mind at an undecipherable pace. “How could you knowingly sentence so many people to death, have you no humanity? Even their exile was a great farce, their religion is their business, not your place to stick your oar in! You would do all of this knowingly, simply for more coin?”

The Lord struggles beneath Ryeowook but size gives him no advantage here, as Ryeowook has a motivation greater than greed on his side. He tightens his grip around his uncle's throat, the man's eyes bulging as his face takes a pale hue. "You're nothing more than swine," Ryeowook snarls. "You're not even worth the effort it would take to kill you." With one last squeeze, Ryeowook releases his grip and the Lord takes a gasping breath. 

"Thanks to you, Jongwoon is gone," Ryeowook continues, standing and making for the door, realizing that the more time he wastes here, the further Jongwoon gets away from here and the harder it will be to find him. He can hear his uncle struggling to his feet behind him, and he laughs dryly. "You live off the misery of others as long as it brings you a pretty penny."

"You'll pay for this," Lord Kim splutters, holding his nose in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. "You mark my words, you'll regret messing with me you stupid little brat." Ryeowook takes in the sight, the man's face purple with rage and blood dripping between his fingers, and laughs again.

"I don't know how you can even consider yourself a man. How pitiful," he growls, turning to leave. He hears his uncle storming up behind him to get in the last swing, and turns with a cocked fist, delivering a fierce punch directly to the side of the Lord's head. The Lord crumples to the floor in a dead faint, completely knocked out by Ryeowook's punch. Ryeowook winces at his split knuckles, but grins in a macabre sense of satisfaction to finally get the upper hand on his uncle. He spits on the man before leaving the room, locking the man inside.

He’s about to take off running, uncaring of where, just anywhere, hoping that Jongwoon hasn’t gotten too far yet. He leans back against the door for a moment to collect his thoughts, adrenaline fading slightly but smile still playing on his lips, an odd sense of something like freedom singing in his chest.

He hears quick footsteps and his eyes snap open, wondering if perhaps a stray guard had heard his scuffle with the Lord and is ready to bolt when he sees Jinseon turn the corner, out of breath as she stops right next to Ryeowook, grabbing his hand to keep him from running and startled when she sees the blood on it.

“Dear God, Ryeowook,” She breathes, wondering if the man has lost his sanity completely, bare hint of a smile still on his face and blood still trickling over his knuckles, but the determination in his eyes still shines through, enough to assure her that he’s still in there somewhere. “What have you done?”

“I didn’t kill him, as much as he may deserve it, he’ll only be out for a few hours, is my best guess.” Ryeowook says, quickly, looking at the scuffs on his knuckles with no small amount of pride, ability to finally have been able to stand up for himself overriding any sense of consequence he might have had. “But I _need_ to find Jongwoon, quickly, so please let go of me, Jinseon.”

“Do you even know where he’s gone?” Jinseon asks incredulously, relieved that Ryeowook hadn’t killed the man, knowing justice will come to him soon, but shocked that Ryeowook would be so willing to rush out without even knowing where Jongwoon had gone. The sheepish shake of his head confirms it, and Jinseon simply sighs, knowing she shouldn’t have expected much more from a broken and love blinded man. “He said something about going back to a house that was under your ownership, I assume you know where that is?"

The memories of the oceanside cabin flood Ryeowook and he nods, grateful that he was at least going back to somewhere he knows and not venturing into the unknown. "I do, it's a house I bought from a friend in the Port Town," he replies, mind furiously mapping out the route he thinks Jongwoon might have taken, if Jongwoon even knows where he's going. 

Jinseon sighs again, patting Ryeowook on the shoulder. "Go after him, then. He's got almost three hours of a headstart. And I've got my letter marked for postage, I plan on having it delivered first thing in the morning. Your uncle will have free reign no more, I assure you." Jinseon smiles as the humanity trickles back into Ryeowook's relieved gaze. "Siwon will bring a warrant for his arrest, and we'll have the time then to find something to lock him up for a long time."

“And God willing, we might both be able to find happiness again,” She murmurs, and Ryeowook nods, wishing it with every fiber of his being, not even daring to dream that all of this will work out for them, too used to everything falling apart around him to believe in it just yet. He only hopes he’ll be able to catch Jongwoon before he’s too far gone.

He mutters a quick thanks to Jinseon before turning and running down the halls, Jongwoon’s most likely route mapped out in his head as he makes his way easily out of the manor, guards thankfully all either asleep in their chambers or still at the reception, milking the free liquor and night off for all it’s worth. There’s a light dusting of snow covering the ground, and the flakes fall from the sky at a steady pace.

Ryeowook hopes it won’t turn into a blizzard, shivering as he makes his way quickly down the path, knowing he’ll need to go fast if he has any hope of keeping up with Jongwoon. He knows the other man probably isn’t dressed for the chill either, and swears that he’ll never be able to forgive himself if Jongwoon dies of hypothermia before he can track him down.

He almost wishes he had thought to grab a spare cloak when he left, barely remembering to get his own on his way out, and only because it was on the rack next to the door. Jongwoon has never experienced snow before, and if he's traveling without knowing what to expect of it, Ryeowook knows that the cruel hand of Father Winter is unforgiving. 

The snow is unrelenting, falling ever thicker as Ryeowook trudges along and he sends prayers up to God or Luzo or whoever that Jongwoon stops for the night and builds a fire. There's no way he's going to be able to make it to the next town in this weather, absolutely no way, and the fear nearly keeps him from going further himself, not able to bear it if he finds Jongwoon's frozen corpse along the road.

"Stop it," Ryeowook curses himself. "Don't think that way. Just keep on going, you'll find him." He forces the thought from his mind and focuses on putting one foot in front of the other. He _has_ to find Jongwoon. He just has to.

It’s an agonizing half hour at least that he goes as fast as he dares through the slowly thickening snow, and he’s about ready to give up hope and fall to his knees when he see’s the small flicker of a fire through the steady fall, the shadow of something larger than any snow bank sticking out of the ground. His breath catches in his throat, and it takes all he has not to break out into a full out run, stumbling over his feet and praying that it’s Jongwoon, that he’s still _alive_.

Jongwoon evidently hears him crunching through the snow and turns his head when he gets an armful of Ryeowook, the other man crashing against him, shivering as the warm material of Ryeowook’s cloak meets his chilled skin, surprise lighting his eyes along with some resignation in his chest, he’d told Ryeowook not to look for him for a reason, even if that meant him dying in the cold.

“Ryeowook, what are you doing here?” He whispers quickly, trying to pry the younger man away from his chest, feeling his gasping breaths there and feeling a twinge of guilt in his chest that Ryeowook had gone so far for him, more than likely having ran the whole way.

"You _idiot_ ," Ryeowook breathes, tears freezing on his eyelashes as he beats Jongwoon's chest, not missing how the man is dressed in clothes that they bought for him months ago -- clothes meant for summer work, and not at all protecting him from the winter storm. "Were you trying to give me a heart attack? Because you very nearly did. God Jongwoon, you are _freezing_ , get over here..." Ryeowook ignores Jongwoon's incredulous look and strips himself of his cloak, wrapping it around Jongwoon's shoulders.

"I told you not to follow me," Jongwoon says lowly as Ryeowook frets over him. "You know what I wrote in that letter is true. I only want to protect _you_ , Ryeowook, since you're busy protecting everyone else. Won't you even let me do that?"

"Did you really think I was just going to let you leave?" Ryeowook sniffles quietly in reply. "You've never traveled in such extreme conditions, Jongwoon. You can't underestimate the force of mother nature, you probably would have frozen to death if I hadn't found you."

“Do you think that matters?” Jongwoon mutters, repressing another shiver from the contrast of his freezing skin and the suddenly warm cloak around him, trying to pry Ryeowook way from him so that he can look him in the eye, wishing the other man would just _listen to him_ for once. “Ryeowook, you know that I can’t stay with you, I might as well die anyway, your uncle-”

“Don’t you dare say that,” Ryeowook hisses, rubbing his hands up and down Jongwoon’s arms, trying to warm him back up as quickly as he can, even if he wants to hit him more, disbelieving that Jongwoon would even suggest his death, wondering how broken he is. “Don’t _ever_ say that, Jongwoon. And I don’t give a damn about what he thinks, he’s gone back on every promise he’s made to me about this whole affair, I don’t care what he threatens anymore. Besides, I gave him a good piece of my mind before I left, I don’t think he’ll be bothering us for a few hours yet. Stay with me, Jongwoon, this time listen to me, please.”

"Your uncle holds so much power," Jongwoon murmurs bitterly, trying to pull away from Ryeowook. "You're only putting yourself in so much more danger, being here now. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid by leaving, Ryeowook. Just let me go and _live_. What happens to me now doesn't matter--" 

Ryeowook cuts him off with a sharp slap to the face, stinging more than it should because of the cold, and because of who it's coming from. Jongwoon's face immediately turns a bright shade of red, and he bites his cheek to keep from saying anything, not turning to look at Ryeowook. "Shut up, shut up, shut _up_ ," Ryeowook says, voice breaking from new tears. "We're going to deal with him. You said it yourself, I have an ally in Jinseon, and we're going to bring down that man, and we're going to do it _together_. The most foolish thing I have ever done was to believe that he would keep his word, and look where it's left me. Left _us_." 

He puts his hands on either side of Jongwoon's face, cool fingers soothing the sting on Jongwoon's cheek slightly as he turns the man to face him. "I'm so sorry, Jongwoon," Ryeowook all but whispers, lip trembling from the struggle it takes not to sob. "I'm so sorry. I should have fought against this more, should have fought _back_ sooner. I was just so afraid that I would lose you the way I lost Kyuhyun, but, God, this is worse, and I'm so, so sorry." 

“Don’t apologize,” Jongwoon whispers, reluctantly moving his eyes to meet Ryeowook’s when he feels hands framing the side of his face, already hating the tears he can hear in Ryeowook’s voice. He knows he was the one who said they should fight in the first place, but is reluctant to change his mind again after being so set to let Ryeowook go, to let him live. It feels like a false sense of hope being offered to him, but when he meets Ryeowook’s eyes he sees nothing but hope and love shining in them, some of the brokenness seeming to repair itself. “We’re all just trying to protect each other, there’s nothing to be faulted in that.”

“Please, Jongwoon, you once said we could fight this,” Ryeowook pleads, continuing to stroke his thumbs over Jongwoon’s cheeks, letting a shaky smile pull at his lips as he leans his forehead against the other man’s, hoping that he’s right and Jongwoon will stop fighting with him on this. He regrets having ever had to put Jongwoon through any of this, to have made him doubt him so much in the first place, but only hopes he isn’t too late, that he can still fix him. “It’s never too late to try, right?”

Jongwoon doesn't know what happened to change Ryeowook's mind -- mere hours ago, the younger man was convinced that this was the end of the line for them. But something in the way Ryeowook is talking, the way he's acting, that gives Jongwoon hope where he had given up, faith where he had none. He swallows thickly, not wanting to build up everything and be broken again, but something tells him that this time, things would be okay. 

So Jongwoon nods reluctantly, and he feels his heart already on the mend just at the smile that breaks out on Ryeowook's face and the younger leans in to kiss him fiercely, not only to warm him up but to express his love and his determination. 

This will work, the kiss says. Nothing will stop us now.

...

It’s still the middle of the night when Sungmin feels Henry begin to thrash against him, the younger man’s whimpers slowly drawing him out of sleep, inky blackness filtering through the curtains still. The first thing he notices is that Jongwoon still isn’t back yet, but all thoughts flee from his mind as Henry becomes increasingly frenzied against him.

“Henry, wake up,” He murmurs gently, shaking Henry by his shoulder and wincing at the way Henry’s eyes crease in terror, mouth working silently and pushing Sungmin away from himself. Sungmin shakes him harder, Henry’s eyes snapping open as he pulls him up, breaths gasping and hands reaching to fist in the older man’s shirt. “It’s just a dream, you’re okay.”

"Sungmin, something's wrong," Henry gasps, kicking and trying to untangle himself from the blanket. "Ryeowook, we need to... need to go see him _now_..." He keeps struggling, even as Sungmin pushes him back down gently but firmly by the shoulders.

"It was only a dream, Henry," Sungmin reassures, trying to get Henry to calm down and assuage some of the panic. "A bad one, but a dream nonetheless. You need to rest some more, you have to get your strength back. We'll go and see Ryeowook in the morning, like we said, okay? Go back to sleep."

"No, you don't understand," Henry says, pushing Sungmin's hands away and leaning up on his elbows, looking over Sungmin's shoulder to see Jongwoon's empty bed. "Sungmin, if we don't go to him now, I don't know that Jongwoon will make it back. That was no dream, it was too _real_ and I--"

“It was just a dream,” Sungmin soothes, brushing the bangs out of Henry’s face and trying to make the wild look in his eyes fade, almost becoming a bit shaken himself at how terrified Henry seems of this dream of his, sitting up as well to pull Henry back against him, trying to comfort him. “Jongwoon will make it, it’ll be okay, Henry. Have more faith in him than that, okay? You’ll never make it to Ryeowook’s now anyway, please at least get some more rest first.”

“No,” Henry shakes his head furiously and pulls back from Sungmin, trying to explain to him why they need to go, _now_. It was the most realistic dream he’s had in ages, he could see Jongwoon dying in front of him, alone and cold and with no one there to help him. He shivers again at the thought, and Sungmin’s hand moves to rub circles on his back. “We need to go see him now, Sungmin. I don’t care if I can’t walk, I’ll crawl if I have to. Something isn’t right, I know it isn’t. You didn’t see what I saw, it was too real, you _don’t know what it’s like_.”

The words are like a slap to the face and Sungmin is reminded that Henry is right, he _doesn't_ know what it's like to be so painfully alone. The world must feel a lot colder without the warmth of a single person at your side and Sungmin falters, Henry's eyes boring into him, as if daring him to argue. "All right," he sighs, "we'll go to Ryeowook now. But I'm not letting you within a foot of that door on your own, I'm going to carry you. And we have to make sure you bundle up. I just got you back from the brink of starvation, I'm not going to lose you to pneumonia."

Henry relaxes just a little, and nods slightly, conceding to Sungmin's conditions. He isn't exactly sure he has the strength to stand anyway, what little rest he's gotten not doing much to help him regain the stamina he once had. Still, the general uneasiness from his premonition (he refuses to call it a dream) has him on edge as he pulls himself upright, Sungmin sliding off the bed on the other side and rummaging around for warm clothes.

Henry moves himself towards the edge of the bed as Sungmin gathers warm clothes for him and opens the door to make carrying him easier, Henry still on edge as he pulls the cloak around himself, Sungmin determined to make him as warm as he can. Sungmin notices his uneasiness and kisses him gently on the forehead, holding him close when he picks him up. 

“Everything will be okay, alright, Henry?” He says softly, trying to at least mend some of the younger man’s obviously still frazzled nerves, holding him tighter and wishing he could still give him more rest, dark circles prominent under his eyes. “Don’t worry, Ryeowook will know what to do and Jongwoon will be fine, this dream of yours won’t come true.”

Henry can't find his voice to reply, so he merely nods nervously, hoping Sungmin's words are true but fearing that they are not. Sungmin smiles gently at him, before turning and kneeling before him, Henry sliding onto his back and clasping his fingers together around Sungmin's front. Sungmin hitches Henry higher on his back, so that he can slip his arms more securely under Henry's thighs and support him from the back.

"All set?" Sungmin asks, making sure Henry is warm and comfortable. Henry nods again and Sungmin quickly makes for the door, concern quickly coming to the forefront of his mind as it registers just how feather light Henry is. _So many things are going wrong all at once_ , Sungmin thinks, and he prays that this time it will go their way, for the sake of Jongwoon, and Ryeowook, and everyone in his hometown.

“Everything will be all right,” He murmurs, more to himself than to Henry, but he feels arms tighten around his neck anyway, a face burying itself in his shoulder. He picks up his pace a little bit, but doesn’t want to jostle Henry too much just yet, fearing for himself. Ryeowook’s room is still an entire wing away, and he knows it will be a bit of a hike to get there. “And why don’t you close your eyes for a little bit longer at least, Henry? You need all the rest you can get, we’re still a bit from Ryeowook’s room.”

Henry nods slowly, even though he knows Sungmin can’t see it, already feeling a bit lulled back to sleep by the layers of warmth around him, knowing that Sungmin is right about conserving his strength at least, hating how weak he is and wishing that there was something more that he could do to help.

Sungmin can't help the small smile when he feels Henry's head drop down onto his shoulder, the younger boy drifting off into a light slumber and glad that the boy is able to get at least a little bit more rest. Still, the walk to Ryeowook's room has never seemed so long and he lets out a relieved sigh when his door finally comes into sight.

To his surprise, the lock is already undone, and it is with a bit of hesitance and a lot of caution that Sungmin knocks on the door. "Ryeowook...? I'm sorry to bother you, I know you've had a rough day but it's important." He doesn't get an answer and a frown works its way across his face and he slowly pushes the door open.

"He's not in there," a soft voice calls, and Sungmin nearly jumps out of his skin, pulling back from the doorway before he can even look inside the room. Jinseon shows herself from the doorway next to Ryeowook's, arms crossed uncertainly over her chest and she's frowning nervously.

“Miss Jinseon?” He says softly, Henry’s head still lolling onto his shoulder. He prays that Ryeowook being gone means that he’s already gone to do something about Jongwoon, that he knows already. “Do you know where he’s gone? This is urgent.”

“Quite honestly, I don’t,” Jinseon says tiredly, leaning heavily against her door and sighing deeply, having to hold herself back from rubbing her temples, all this in one day simply too much to have to deal with. “So much has happened in the past few hours. But I do know he went tearing out of here the moment after he finished beating the tar out of Lord Kim, to go out looking for Jongwoon.”

Sungmin's eyes grow impossibly wide, though he's not sure what startles him more, the fact that Ryeowook beat his uncle to a pulp, or the fact that he went out _looking for Jongwoon_. Which implied that Jongwoon had left with no intention of returning. "Oh heavens, what... Where did Jongwoon go?" Guilt eats away at him from the inside, and he can't help but wonder, _Did I really drive him to the breaking point? Did I really drive him away?_

"I don't know that either," Jinseon replies softly. "I'm sorry. He mentioned something about the house he stayed at before but I haven't a clue where that is. All I know is that Lord Kim reneged on his end of this whole marriage deal, Ryeowook isn't happy about it, and Jongwoon left me to give Ryeowook his goodbyes in a letter."

Sungmin winces as he imagines what Ryeowook and Jongwoon must both feel right now, and figures it was the letter that would have driven Ryeowook over the edge, knowing how he would have felt if Henry had left him with only a letter of parting, even if it was for his own good. His arms tighten around the younger man’s thighs at the thought, reluctant to lose and iota of contact with the man.

“I see,” He says slowly after a bit of time, still feeling immeasurably guilty about what might have been his part in Jongwoon’s sudden disappearance, only praying to Luzo that Ryeowook will be able to find Jongwoon and save him from whatever Henry’s dreams had supplied to him, feeling the other man’s stir against his back as if reading his thoughts.

"Are we here?" Henry mumbles sleepily, and Sungmin shushes him quietly. It doesn't take much to get Henry to settle back down into his shoulder, seeing as how exhausted the poor boy is, and Jinseon gives them a pitiful glance. 

"I know Jongwoon was upset when he heard about Lord Kim's plans," she murmurs. "I don't know if he told you but--"

"He did," Sungmin interrupts. "We... spoke briefly, before he took off. I had no clue he was planning on leaving for good, I just thought... well, we didn't exactly have a civil conversation. I figured he took off and needed some time to blow off steam. But if what you heard was true, then I have to get there before the miners do. Too much is riding on us to let them mine there."

“I’ve figured as much,” Jinseon says tiredly, knowing how tired they all are, from the man over Sungmin’s shoulders to Sungmin himself, dark circles lining all their eyes, lines seeming to make them look beyond their years. “But I have a letter that’s ready to be sent to the palace, hopefully they’ll be able to do something about this entire mess, there must be something they can _prove_ the Lord of being guilty of.”

“Luzo willing,” Sungmin mutters, closing his eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath, hoping whatever plan Jinseon might have will be able to pull through for them, to be able to drive them out of this well they seem to have fallen so deeply into. “That we might be able to escape all of this, I would give nearly anything. We need to leave too, though. If his Lordship does awaken to find Henry out of the dungeons, things won’t go very well, to say the least.”

Jinseon quirks an eyebrow, wondering who Luzo is, but nods in agreement that Henry cannot stay there. "If you stop by the banquet hall, right next to the ballroom, you should be able to scrounge some food," she suggests. "Everyone should have cleared out by now, and those who haven't are probably either passed out or so drunk they won't remember seeing you."

Sungmin nods gratefully, painfully aware of how much Henry needs any food he can find, all sharp angles now and his protruding hipbones digging into his back. "Thank you, Miss Jinseon, for all of your help. We wouldn't have been able to hold it together without you. I hope, once all of this is said and done, that you're able to find your own happiness. It seems we're all in pursuit of it."

She smiles lightly at Sungmin and waves him along, knowing they won’t have this window of opportunity for much longer and trying to give them as much time as she can to gather supplies, cringing at the thought of such a long journey with the state that Henry is in.

“Hopefully we can all find our happiness again.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey back, and a run of good fortune.

"Sungmin, I'm cold," Henry whimpers, half asleep. Sungmin winces as a full body tremor runs down Henry's spine so hard Sungmin can feel it, and he hitches Henry higher on his back and pulls the blanket tighter around Henry. 

"I know," he mumurs softly, brushing snow out of Henry's hair and trying to coax the younger boy to turn his face inward, toward the warmth of his neck. "But we had to get you out of there, if the Lord found out I'd busted you out it wouldn't have been good."

As soon as they had bid Jinseon farewell Sungmin had hurried back to the room and packed up their few belongings, tying the light knapsack to Henry's back and filching as many blankets and cloaks as he could carry to wrap the smaller boy in. On their way out, Sungmin stopped in the ballroom, completely empty of any concious person, much to their luck, and stuffed his pockets with any bread and fruit that he could find. And then they were off, into the snowy night, and had been walking for hours.

“Yeah,” Henry mumbles, burying his face back in Sungmin’s neck and scrunching his nose as Sungmin’s hair tickles him, struggling to stay awake a bit more, Sungmin’s warmth lulling him back into a sleepy state of mind, hardly been awake for even a fourth of their journey. “But it would have been nice if Mother Nature decided to cooperate with us, you have to carry me on top of tromping through all this snow.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sungmin says softly, smiling as he feels Henry burrow in closer to him, some of his shivers dying down as the gusting winds calm again, nearly sighing in relief as he can see the town nearest to the Capitol come into view, lanterns still lit outside the inn and scattered houses. “And look, we’re almost to town, maybe we can find at least an alley to shield from this weather.”

“Wanna sleep in bed,” Henry whispers into Sungmin’s shoulder, slightly petulantly but too tired to care, simply clutching tighter to Sungmin and thankful that the other man will have a break from carrying him in this, most likely just as tired as Henry is if not more.

Sungmin wants to cry, knowing that Henry has done nothing but suffer for days and he can't even provide a warm bed for him to sleep in. Childish or not, Henry hasn't had a proper nights rest at all, spending the last week sleeping on the stone floor with no blankets, and even his only night in a proper bed since then was for few hours, at best.

"I wish I could give that to you, Henry..." Sungmin whispers, trying valiantly not to let the tears slip past his eyes. They would only freeze anyway and just hinder his vision. Henry's breathing is even against his neck, though, and Sungmin knows he's succumbed to sleep again. A vicious gust of wind makes Sungmin stop, hunching over himself to keep himself from shivering too, before starting forward again.

"I want nothing more than to give you something better than this... it seems I can't even do that right," he goes on, talking more to himself than to Henry, images of their final destination flashing behind his eyes. He has been thinking of a way to keep Henry safe, knowing that if the younger boy followed him back to his hometown they'd likely be killed on the spot... but the only way to protect him from that, is to leave him behind somewhere, and that's not an option.

He also knows that Henry would never agree to simply being left somewhere while he went on ahead, cringing internally as he imagines what the younger man’s reaction would most likely be for even suggesting such a thing. It’s sure to not be pretty, but he’s not sure what else he can do, knowing he can’t let Henry fall to the same fate he did last time they were in the village, or put him through the hell that’s sure to be getting back there in the first place.

Henry sighs in his sleep and Sungmin can’t help the tired smile that crosses his face, deciding that it’s a discussion for when the younger man is awake, simply thankful that they’re finally close to town. He thinks his arms might have gone numb if they were wandering around for even another hour, stepping carefully on the cobblestones through the town square, streets mostly empty of people save the snow beginning to fill them.

“If only there was some coin left there with the food,” Sungmin grumbles to himself, cursing his lack of foresight to have gone looking for any money before they left, they might have been able to afford a bed for the night if he had. Instead it’s surely the cover of the buildings they’ll need to rely on, and he only hopes he grabbed enough blankets to keep away the chill, wandering through the streets slowly as the few people about eye him and Henry suspiciously.

There's an alley that's more like a crevice in the wall, sandwiched between two large houses. There are a couple of windows that look down on the alley, but Sungmin figures it should be okay to stop there for the night -- the windows are all about ground level so the tenants there don't have to fear him and Henry breaking in if they see them lying there. 

"Henry, I'm going to put you down now, okay?" Sungmin murmurs gently, rocking a little in order to make the younger boy stir. Henry whines but nods into Sungmin's shoulder as he slides down Sungmin's back to his feet. "Can you stand for a bit? I'm going to try and clear some of this snow." Henry bobs head in a nod, wobbling on his feet a little but staying upright. Sungmin hisses at the cold sting when he touches the snow, but manages to clear a decent spot for him and Henry to lay on the cobblestone.

He takes a blanket from Henry and sets it down on the cleared spot, sliding down the wall of the alley and holding a hand out for Henry, pulling the younger man down beside him and letting him curl into his side, trying to give Henry as much warmth as he can. He feels Henry shiver and pulls him closer to him, feeling another wave of guilt that he can’t do better for him.

“I’m sorry, Henry,” He murmurs, tilting his head to rest his cheek on Henry’s hair, having a feeling that it’s going to be a long night, if the steady snowfall is any indication. “I’ll get us some money, don’t worry. This is the only night we’ll be sleeping in the snow like this, you have my word.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Henry mumbles, burrowing closer to Sungmin and soaking in what remains of the older man’s warmth, speaking directly into his neck. “It doesn’t matter where we are, as long as I’m with you, Sungmin. You don’t know what a hell those dungeons were, we could be in the middle of the ocean for all I care, as long as I’m with you then I’ll make it.”

Sungmin's heart cringes, though he does his best not to outwardly show it, Henry's words solidifying his suspicion that trying to leave him anywhere will just not fly. He wants so bad to give Henry more than this, a cold alley on a snowy night, and gently scoots and pushes Henry to lay down, putting the boy between himself and the wall and curls around him, acting like a human blanket to shield him from the wind. He strokes Henry's hair, before pulling him as close as he possibly can. 

It's probably not the safest thing to do, Sungmin realizes belatedly, falling asleep when its this cold out. But if he hadn't stopped he would have passed out in a snow drift on the side of the road and that wouldn't do either. So he supposes this is the lesser of two evils. It doesn't make the situation any better. 

"Don't you die on me in your sleep, Henry," Sungmin whispers once he's sure Henry is lost to his dreams. "I promised that I would never leave you, so please just do the same for me, okay?"

He gets no answer but the soft sounds of Henry’s breathing, a soft sigh escaping his lips as Sungmin clutches him tighter. The wind begins to pick up again, but Sungmin merely curls around the younger man even more, determined to not let him die here in the cold, not when they’ve gone through so much more together. 

He’s buried his face in the back of Henry’s neck and is nearly ready to drift off himself when he hears the sharp sound of the window above them creaking open on its hinges, sitting up quickly and pulling Henry up with him, the other man whining softly at being woken up yet again, not raising his face from Sungmin’s shoulder.

There's no light in the alley but from the window that is opened, faint candlelight casting a dim glow on their sullied faces. A girl's face peers out from the window, leaning out as she squints in the darkness. She looks rather young, a few years younger than Henry at least, her hair chopped short and framing her face. "Oh!" she calls with a start. "I thought I heard someone talking out here!" 

Sungmin warily looks up at the girl, clutching Henry protectively as Henry comes to clearer consciousness. "Min, wassgoinon?" he mumbles, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Why aren't we sleeping?" Sungmin shushes him quietly, watching the girl to see what she wants. The girl seems to realize his apprehension, and smiles. 

"You two are cold, right? Stay right there for a second," she says, disappearing from the window. Sungmin's stomach drops, and he fears she may be reporting them for loitering. He tries to gather the confused Henry into his arms and get them away from there before the girl reappears at the window, worst-case scenarios running through his head. But even worse for him, the girl doesn't appear at the window again, instead rounding around the corner into the alley, heavy shawl draped over her shoulders and blankets in her arms.

"Come on, let's get you into dry blankets and get you inside," the girl says definitely, stopping expecatantly in front of them and completely oblivious to the blatant fear in Sungmin, and increasingly in Henry's eyes. "Well, what are you waiting for? You're going to get sick this way."

“Who are you?” Sungmin says suspiciously, not quite trusting her not to be some kind of trap set up by Lord Kim to catch them, still very much on edge, as much as he wishes for her charity to be genuine. Henry seems to curl even further into him, if possible, and his shoulders begin to tremble, Sungmin murmuring comforting words to him before continuing. “What do you mean hurry? What do you want with us?”

“You can call me Amber,” The girl, Amber, says impatiently, tapping her foot as if trying to hurry the two men along and confused by their reluctance, both of them obviously cold and in need of shelter for the night. The younger of the two looks like he could use a meal as well, and she wonders if there’s any leftovers still in the kitchen, missing the note of suspicion in Sungmin’s voice. “And I mean you’d better hurry if you want to stay the night, at the rate you’re going now it’ll be morning before the two of you even settle in.”

“Not that we don’t appreciate your offer, Miss Amber,” Sungmin says slowly, trying to be as diplomatic as possible without being rude, knowing that this act of kindness could be invaluable to them if genuine. “But why are you offering this to us? You don’t even know who we are, and if you’ll forgive our wariness, we’ve had quite the...eventful week.”

"Because if you stay out here you're going to freeze to death," Amber replies, as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. "And I don't want to see anyone on the streets on this kind of night. I have the room to spare, so why wouldn't I offer it to you both?" 

Sungmin has to admire this girl's audacity and frank honesty, but still is worried about the possiblity of it being a trap. It suddenly hits him that now he understands why Ryeowook was so distrusting of him and Jongwoon, that long time ago when they first pulled them from river and saved them from the geysers. The events of the past week alone has made him very cautious, and it's kind of saddening, Sungmin thinks, that life has to be like this.

Before any of them can say anything more there's the sound of scurrying footsteps and Sungmin thinks resignedly, _This is it, we're done for._ An older woman appears around the corner, hair frazzled and clutching her own shawl around her shoulders. "Amber, what in Heaven's name do you think you're doing out here at this hour? And talking to strangers, no less, haven't I told you, that's _dangerous_."

“Mama, they aren’t dangerous, they need help!” Amber exclaims, and Henry finally removes his head from Sungmin’s shoulder, curiosity getting the better of him and feeling more secure since he hasn’t heard any guards or had anyone try and pry Sungmin away from him yet. “You know we have plenty of room, and they were sleeping out here when I found them! What if they freeze to death? I’m just trying to do a good deed.”

Sungmin can swear he hears the woman mutter something about _you’re always trying to do these kind of deeds_ under her breath before she sighs, merely shrugging her shoulders at Amber before smiling at Sungmin and Henry, albeit the smile being a big strained.

“Well, my daughter seems to trust the two of you,” She says resignedly, and Amber beams, clearly happy at winning her battle so easily. “So come in. She’s right though, I’m sure we have a room to spare, and a meal. You look like you haven’t eaten in weeks, young one.”

Henry blinks owlishly as the older woman clucks at him, and Sungmin cringes as he thinks how close to the truth she really is, slowly getting up and taking Henry with him, following Amber and her mother back to the corner, to the front of the house. Sungmin simply carries Henry in his arms, thinking they won’t have far to go and hoping they can trust these people, murmuring at Henry not to fall asleep again just yet, as he’ll probably have to wake him again in a few moments.

It's disorienting how fast things happen, as Sungmin and Henry find themselves pushed down onto a comfortable mattress on the floor of a spare room, thick blankets draped around their shoulders and hot tea being handed to them by the girl, mother hovering over her and refusing to leave her daughter alone with the two strangers despite seeming to be a very kind woman. 

"It's not a lot but please, make yourselves at home," Amber is saying, taking the damp blankets and draping them over the desk so that they can dry. Henry's eyes nearly bulge out of his socket at the statement, thinking that this is a very lavish home, though not quite so much as the over-indulgent manor he lived in for so long. Amber sees this and chuckles. "What we do have, I like to share. It's stingy to hog everything to yourself when people who need it go without all the time."

"It's like you're a real life Robin Hood," Henry murmurs, childish admiration clear in his tone. Even though Amber is clearly younger than him she is far wiser than her years, and it's astonishing that the world hasn't corrupted her yet. Still, no one seems to get the reference, three pairs of eyes blinking owlishly at him. "It's a story we were told as children in my home country," Henry explains sheepishly. "Robin Hood was a hero who came from wealth, but stole from the rich to give to the poor."

“I haven’t stolen from anyone!” Amber protests indignantly crossing her arms over her chest and huffing, Sungmin merely covering his mouth to hide a bubbling laugh as Henry frantically back tracks, trying to get across what he actually meant as Amber pouts at him. “I just have more than I need, so I try to give back when I can, it’s what any decent human being would do!”

“If only most of the world shared that ideal,” Henry murmurs wistfully, smiling brightly at Amber. Sungmin feels relieved as he sees Henry smile, the worry finally fading from his eyes, and he begins to look comfortable again. He thinks it’s been too long since he saw the younger man like this, and wraps an arm around his waist, smiling into Henry’s shoulder. “It would be a much nicer place. You’re really a very kind person, Miss Amber.”

Amber blushes at Henry’s words and stammers around them, eventually settling for shaking her head and smiling at the two men, noticing their affection but choosing not to comment on it, being their business alone and none of hers.

“Well, I try,” She mumbles awkwardly, shifting on her feet as if unused to compliments, or at least in the nature of the one Henry paid to her. In her eyes it seems the world should do what it can for those in need of something another can provide, as simple as that. “But I suppose I should let the two of you rest now. I’ll be back in the morning, you should at least be able to have a meal before you’re back off to wherever you were heading in such a blizzard. Good night, peaceful dreams be with you.”

Only when she bids them goodnight does she allow her mother to usher her from the room, murmurs of _I'm very proud of you, dear_ following them out the door. Henry sighs contentedly, body still exhausted from all the shivering and not eating, and he lays out on the mattress, pulling Sungmin down with him. "Looks like we got a bed tonight after all," he whispers gratefully. 

Sungmin nods into Henry's neck, burrowing deeper under the thick blankets with him and smiling at Henry's ticklish giggle. "It was very kind of that girl to offer us her home, and of her mother to allow such a thing," he replies quietly, heart relieved of the heavy worry that they could have died tonight. "Tomorrow we'll make tracks and get to the next town so that I can get a catch to sell for a room." 

Henry frowns a little, realizing that after the next town, it will only be a short distance to where he and Ryeowook had first fallen through the ground, and that the river around there will lead them back to Sungmin's home. "What are we going to do..." he murmurs, and it's as though Sungmin can read his mind, the older man clutching him tighter.

"You let me worry about that," Sungmin chastises, brushing the hair from Henry's face and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, just get some rest. You really need to build your strength back up and this is the best chance for that." 

“I suppose you’re right,” Henry yawns, leaning up to give Sungmin a quick kiss before burying his face back in Sungmin’s chest, feeling arms tighten around his waist as he burrows as close as he possibly can, looking forward to the first peaceful night of sleep he’s had in God knows how long. “But don’t do anything stupid, okay, Min? I don’t want to have to be afraid of losing you again, just be careful in whatever plan you’re thinking up.”

“I will be,” Sungmin murmurs into Henry’s hair, hoping he’s able to think of something besides simply leaving Henry somewhere safe soon, each word out of the younger man’s mouth solidifying how badly it would go if he even suggested it. “I’ll think everything through before I do anything, alright, Henry? And I promise, you won’t lose me again, we’ll get through all of this together.”

“Remember, I trust you,” Henry mumbles, curling his arms around Sungmin’s neck and sighing contently when Sungmin’s hands rub circles on his back, teetering on the edge of slumber and feeling better than he has in weeks, daring to believe he can see the light at the end of the tunnel. “I know you’ll do your best, Min. We’ll get through it, I believe you.”

Sungmin merely sighs, resigning himself to working even harder to figure out a way to fix this without hurting Henry in the process, but thinking that right now he isn't in much shape to do anything but sleep, exhaustion finally hitting him like a sledgehammer. He barely processes Henry's breathing evening out before he himself succumbs to sleep, drifting off into an untroubled sleep.

Amber wakes them the next morning, knocking lightly and peeking her head in the doorway. She smiles softly at the way the two cling to each other in their sleep, looking much more at ease than when she saw them last night, and almost regretting that she has to get them out of bed. "I'm sorry to wake you both so early but I think you may want to get up if you want to beat the snow. It's cleared up a little but it looks like it might start coming down again. Oh, and Mama's got breakfast started, you're both more than welcome to join us."

Sungmin is the first to wake, bleary-eyed and blinking the remnants of sleep away. Amber chuckles at the sleepy confusion that crosses his face as he tries to discern where he is, realization slowly easing back into his mind. "Oh..." he mumbles, bringing the back of his palm to rub at his eyes. "It's okay, we don't want to impose on you... we're appreciative enough that you gave us a bed for the night."

“Think nothing of it,” Amber says simply, smiling brightly and grateful that she was at least able to do something for the two, clearly good people merely under unfortunate circumstances, if Sungmin’s disposition is anything to go by. Henry is much quieter in comparison, but seems to just be shy for some reason. “I wish I could offer you more, but we can at least send you off with a warm meal before you go. You have a few more minutes until Mama sets everything out though, the dining room is right down the stairs whenever you’re ready!”

Sungmin nods gratefully again as Amber smiles once more before stepping out, hearing the sounds of her calling out to her mother as he looks down to see Henry still very much asleep, bags under his eyes still prominent but looking more rested than he had the previous night, content smile gracing his lips. He’s secretly glad that Amber insisted on feeding them, even if it might hurt his pride a bit to take even more from such kind people, he knows that a real meal will do Henry a world of good, stroking his thumb gently over the younger man’s cheek as Henry tries to burrow closer to him.

“Wake up Henry,” He murmurs gently, smiling when Henry whines at him, shutting his eyes tighter and staying completely beneath the blankets. Sungmin moves his hand to tug gently at Henry’s hair, chiding him teasingly. “There’s breakfast to be had, and we still have a lot of ground to cover.”

"I really don't want to overstay our welcome, either," he adds, grateful though he is that Amber and her family had offered a helping hand. Henry groans, wanting nothing more than to sleep for a week if he could in this comfy bed, but he knows he can't argue with Sungmin's logic and pushes himself upright. His hair sticks out in every direction, and combined with the sleepy look of irritation, Sungmin can't stop the laughter that bubbles up in his throat and spills out.

"Don't laugh at me..." Henry mutters with a great yawn, rubbing one eye sleepily and leaning forward into Sungmin's chest, relishing in the warmth of the other man as he knows he'll lose the minute they step outside. Sungmin continues to chuckle, tenderly brushing Henry's hair down so that it lays relatively flat, smiling even bigger when Henry continues to whine. "So mean to me."

"I can't help it that you're so darn cute," Sungmin chuckles in his defense, scooting the two of them toward the edge of the mattress and helping Henry to stand. He enlists the younger boy's help to fold the blankets neatly, not wanting to take advantage of the family's kindness by leaving the room a sty, placing them on the foot of the mattress before gathering their own now dry blankets from the corner of the room.

“Cute is just for small children,” Henry mutters childishly, but with a smile on his face, thinking that this is one of the nicest mornings he’s had in a long time, glad to see the smile lighting Sungmin’s eyes as well. Sungmin merely laughs and leans in to press a lingering kiss to Henry’s lips, murmuring that _those aren’t for children, and yet you’re still cute, so I’d wager you must be wrong._

Henry huffs when Sungmin bundles him up in their own blankets again, complaining of not even being outside yet, but Sungmin will hear none of it and continues to fuss over him, taking his hand and leading him down to the dining room, walking slowly. Henry wishes he could just walk himself without being led around like a toddler, but isn’t quite confident in his legs holding him up for long periods yet.

“There you are!” Amber’s mother exclaims when she sees them round the corner and enter the room, apron tied around her waist and Amber already sitting at the fine table, beaming at them. “Breakfast is just coming out, if you have a minute to spare before setting back on your travels, you should dine with us. Amber’s been pestering me to make extra ever since I woke up, so you two had better eat well.”

"Well if you've made extra we certainly don't want to put your effort to waste. Thank you so much for your hospitality," Sungmin says with a deep bow, trying his best to show his respect and gratitude. Henry bows too, though not nearly as deep, fearful that if he does he'll lose his balance and pitch forward on his face. 

"And please, forgive our table manners," Sungmin adds, nodding to Henry being wrapped up in a blanket. "He's been ill the last couple of days, I want to make sure that he stays warm so that he can recover." Henry bristles at being called out upon, face blushing a furious red as he hides behind Sungmin, and Amber clucks disapprovingly.

"And you two insisted on sleeping out in the cold last night," she says, shaking her head as she sits the last plate down. "But it's really not a problem, right Mama?" Amber adds, cocking her head at her mother, who nods with a sigh, and Amber grins. "Mama lets me walk around the house with blankets when I'm sick too, even if they get dirty from dragging on the floor."

“That’s because you drag them around outside as well, silly child,” The woman clucks, shaking her head fondly at Amber and looking at Henry with a smile, the young man still hiding behind Sungmin’s shoulder, still grumbling at the older man but smiling weakly back. “I’m sure this young man has much better manners than you. Don’t worry, young one, you’ll feel better in no time with a hot meal on your stomach, I’ll make sure to have seconds set out for you.”

She’s off before Henry can protest, and Amber laughs at the crestfallen look on his face, Sungmin simply amused. He knows that Henry can use all he can get, and the older woman’s insistence is greatly appreciated along with entertaining, Henry’s exasperated sigh and mutters of wishes for everyone to stop treating him like he’s on his deathbed drawing a laugh from his throat.

“Mama will feed you for days if you let her,” Amber stage whispers, eyes crinkling as she sees Henry unfurl from the makeshift shell he’d been in since she first saw him last night, seeming quite a bit like herself in nature. 

“She reminds me a bit of my own mother,” Henry says quietly to himself, a soft smile on his face as he remembers the way she used to flutter around the kitchen, cooking for all of them every day, every meal and snack, for any of her children that had a need. He feels Sungmin tense beside him and smiles at him, leaning against him. “You’re quite lucky to have her, Miss Amber.”

"If she's anything like Mama then she must be a good person!" Amber replies cheerily and Sungmin tries to send her a look pleading with her not to go further. He doesn't want to be rude and outright tell her she's venturing into dangerous waters for poor Henry but she completely misses the disguised sadness in Henry's voice. "Is that where you two were headed, then? To go see your family?"

Sungmin cringes at the way Henry smiles wryly, but the sheer strength Henry has to hold back his tears astonishes him. "No, and fortunately not. I'd rather not join my family until I'm old and wrinkled." Amber's mouth drops into an open 'o' of understanding and her mother comes over and raps her sharply on the back of the head.

"Have some tact, dear," she scolds, before turning to Henry and Sungmin with a kind, but pitying smile. "I'm sorry for your loss, little one. It must be awfully hard to live on your own, and at such a young age too. I'm sorry that this is all we have to offer you." She sets plates full of piping hot food down before them both, but out of politeness they wait until Amber and herself are served before digging in.

“What you’ve given us is more than we could ever ask for,” Henry says, smiling at the two and feeling his stomach stir as the aroma of fresh cooked food reaches him, suddenly feeling quit famished and having to restrain himself from stuffing it all in his mouth at once. “And I’m used to it. Besides, I’m never really alone anymore, I have Sungmin.”

Sungmin’s heart breaks a little bit as he imagines again how lonely Henry must have been for his years of slavery, slipping his hand under the table and locating Henry’s to give it a squeeze before turning to his own food, grateful when the entire subject is dropped. Chatter resumes quickly enough, though, Amber quickly hopping over the awkward silence and urging them with questions and stories, breakfast passing quickly. 

It hardly seems any time at all before they’re being shown to the door again by Amber, Henry leaning against Sungmin and slightly dreading going back in the cold, having becoming lulled into a nice little world for a bit and saddened to leave, knowing Sungmin is too and letting himself be submitted to the other man’s fussing, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders.

"We are both forever in your debt," Sungmin thanks gratefully, bowing deeply to Amber and her mother, who stand in the doorway with their shawls wrapped tight around them against the cold. Henry smiles weakly in his thanks, leaning heavily into Sungmin as the two prepare to set back off for the day. "I don't think we'll ever be able to repay you for the kindness that you've shown to us, though we are strangers."

Amber smiles gently, her mother's arms around her shoulders and she shakes her head. "Good deeds to not merit payment," she replies, and Sungmin is reminded once again of how this girl is wise beyond her years. "Go with God, dear strangers, and if you ever find yourself in need of a place to stay and you happen to be in town, the door is always open."

With their final words of parting, Sungmin and Henry are off in the direction of the Port Town once more, Henry determined to at least walk until he feels he can't anymore. He doesn't want to burden Sungmin any more than he has by being so weak, even though Sungmin assures him that he is anything but a burden. As their figures grow smaller down the street, Amber sighs and leans into her mother's arms.

"I'm really grateful to you too, strangers," she murmurs, letting her mother usher her inside. "People like you every day remind me of how lucky I really am." Her mother smiles at the worry in her kind daughter's eyes, and kisses her cheek affectionately. 

"They'll be all right," she assures. "Good things happen to good people, and you're a prime example of that." Amber nods, casting one more glance to the strangers out the window, watching them disappear around the corner. 

"I certainly hope so, Mama. I really do."


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

The fire still flickers by Jongwoon’s side, and despite the chilled snow just beneath him and the bitter gusts of wind that skate over his exposed cheeks, he feels warm.

Ryeowook is tucked into his chest, cloak pulled tight around them both as he sleeps against Jongwoon, breathing steady and warm against the older man’s neck. Jongwoon is simply thankful they made it through the night at all, having slept at his makeshift encampment with just the two of them, a fire, and Ryeowook’s cloak to keep the chill away.

_Luzo must be looking out for us again_ , he thinks to himself, sighing deeply as the strains of sunlight begin to shine on the leftover snow, hoping for a warmer day than the last, that maybe winter will be kind enough to give them another break. Ryeowook shifts against him and he can’t help the smile that tugs at his lips, thinking that waking up to the other man in his arms is something he’d gone too long without, heart more than a little glad that Ryeowook seems to have changed his mind about simply lying down and taking whatever his uncle ordered him to do, even if his brain is reluctant to fully believe it. _Just how many miracles do we have left?_

He feels fingers intertwine with his, and he looks down to see Ryeowook's eyes still closed, but a smile creeping up on his face gives him away. Jongwoon smiles and brings their clasped hands to his lips, kissing the back of Ryeowook's hand and puffing warm breaths against it. "Good morning," He murmurs, and Ryeowook caves peeking one eye open at Jongwoon. 

Despite the all sorts of thing wrong with where they are -- bums cold in the snow, running once again from the elder and back _toward_ certain death -- Jongwoon can't think of anywhere he'd rather be, if it meant that this smile was hidden away again. The smile that lights up his tired eyes and makes his face look less haggard... this is the smile Jongwoon loves, and he wonders, _Has it really been that long since I've seen him look this happy?_

“Good morning indeed,” Ryeowook whispers, and he means it, sighing contently as Jongwoon’s lips ghost over his knuckles, smiling warmly at the other man and cracking his other eye open to look at him fully. It’s undoubtedly the best morning he’s had in awhile, feeling Jongwoon’s warmth against him, knowing with finality that it really isn’t a dream, that they’re together for good this time, for better or worse. _Or at least, I’ll do my damnedest to keep it that way,_ he thinks, with slight amusement, snuggling closer to Jongwoon.

Ryeowook’s face disappears completely as he buries it in Jongwoon’s chest, only his hair visible to Jongwoon’s eyes, shining red in the morning light that glares off the snow. Jongwoon lets his arm tighten around Ryeowook’s waist, the other hand still intertwined with the younger man’s and he smiles against it, letting Ryeowook feel the way his lips quirk. He knows they’ll have to get on the road to have any hope of getting to town, but wants to sit in this moment a bit longer. He’d say he’s entitled to it after the past week, and simply indulges in the feel of Ryeowook against him.

Still, even in Jongwoon's embrace he feels bad for running off and leaving Jinseon to deal with the aftermath of his bloody mess on her own. He bites his lower lip, trying to block the image out but praying his uncle at least has the decency not to harm a woman. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything happened to her, but his uncle pushed him to the breaking point last night and there's no going back now.

Jongwoon frowns as he feels Ryeowook's shoulders tense. "Hey," he says softly, and Ryeowook pulls back just enough to catch his gaze. "Whatever you're thinking right now... stop. We're going to go warn my family, and Sungmin's family, about the miners, and then we're going to stand up to your uncle. We're going to stand up and fight for our own happiness because as we so clearly learned, no one is going to hand it to you."

“You’re right,” Ryeowook sighs, pressing his forearms to Jongwoon’s chest and pushing himself up a bit, looking the older man in the eye and smiling tiredly, squeezing Jongwoon’s hand lightly. He knows the other man is right, and he does want to fight, he just can’t stop his mind from wandering to the worst possible consequences. He supposes it’s from experience, he thinks bitterly. “I know, Jongwoon. And I mean what I said, I intend to fight for us. I just worry, years of having all of my happiness trampled before it could even begin has made this my automatic reaction.”

Jongwoon sighs, wishing that it never had to be like that for Ryeowook in the first place, but doesn’t like the shred of pain he sees entering the younger man’s eyes, and pulls him back against him, tilting his chin to brush their lips together, thinking he might have a ways to go with Ryeowook’s confidence in them. 

Ryeowook hums against his lips, and even though it has really only been a day since they kissed like this, the fading marks under his clothes a stark reminder, the events between them make it seem likes it's been forever, especially since they last parted thinking that this would never happen again. He presses a little harder, clinging to Jongwoon's shirt, never wanting to let go.

Jongwoon feels Ryeowook's anxiousness, and the tension from the day before finally just melts around them as he meets the smaller man's growing intensity. "You have no idea how _hard_ it was to watch you pledge your life to that woman," he breathes against Ryeowook's lips as they part only slightly to breathe. "To have her kiss you... these lips are _mine_."

Ryeowook whimpers into Jongwoon’s mouth as the words send a shiver down his spine, air around them suddenly seeming much warmer as he can _feel_ Jongwoon’s possessiveness, molding himself almost completely against the older man, warm breath puffing over his lips when he pulls back for just a moment.

“All yours,” Ryeowook whispers, feelings Jongwoon’s grip around him tighten, leaning in for another long kiss, the taste of Jongwoon on his tongue as he replaces all the terrible memories of the past weeks with new ones, better ones. Ones that include Jongwoon’s mouth and hands and smile against his lips, warm fingers teasing where his shirt rides up. “I’m only yours, Jongwoon. Only ever yours, that kiss meant _nothing_.”

Jongwoon's heart soars as he hears the reaffirmation, despite knowing that it was true beforehand. Their kissing slows a little but loses none of its passion, the two of them just savoring the other's presence and taste and warmth. When they both finally pull apart, their faces are flushed and their eyes are sparkling with so much more than words could possibly express. Jongwoon smiles softly, and his genuine joy is contagious and it makes Ryeowook's lips grow from ear to ear.

"Come on," Ryeowook says, pushing lightly off of Jongwoon and clambering to his feet. "Let's keep moving and get out of this God forsaken snow." Jongwoon nods and takes Ryeowook's hand, using it as leverage to get to his feet. Ryeowook kicks some snow over the burnt out fire, covering their tracks a little bit, and when he turns back around he is surprised when Jongwoon steals a kiss before lacing their fingers together again.

Jongwoon conveys all his feelings through that quick kiss, grinning at the look of surprise on Ryeowook’s face and simply squeezes his hand tighter, pulling him along and through the snow, humming under his breath as he feels the warmth inside his chest grow, and he’s rather sure that it doesn’t have much to do with the ever rising sun.

“Aren’t you forward this morning,” Ryeowook mutters, but with a smile, and walks close to Jongwoon, hoping that they’ll be able to make it to town before nightfall and be able to con their way into a room, maybe elder women’s fondness for Jongwoon will come in handy again, he thinks amusedly. He lets out a small chuckle and ignores Jongwoon’s look directed at him, instead smiling widely and looking ahead.

Jongwoon merely murmurs assent, the grin on Ryeowook’s face encouraging and uncaring at whatever the younger man could have imagined to make him laugh so suddenly, only enjoying being able to see him happy again.

They continue down the path, and suddenly Jongwoon thinks it doesn’t seem so long.

...

"I can't believe you used me like that," Jongwoon mutters as Ryeowook shuts the door to their room at the inn, having finally made it to the next town. Ryeowook is still chuckling heartily as Jongwoon plops down on the bed, frown set on his face. Ryeowook takes one look at the scowl and bursts out laughing again, and Jongwoon sighs dramatically. "I give up."

"It's not my fault you're so attractive," Ryeowook giggles, hanging up his cloak to dry and lays the new one the innkeeper insisted on giving Jongwoon on the table ( _Oh my goodness why are you traveling without something to keep you warm, here, dear, take this one it's no trouble and don't worry, it won't cost you anything..._ ). He sits down on the mattress next to Jongwoon and curls up into his side, laying his head on Jongwoon's shoulder and smiling. "This is nice, being with you like this for a change."

Jongwoon hums agreement and slips an arm around Ryeowook’s waist, tugging him closer and feeling a smile against his neck as Ryeowook burrows into him, throwing an arm over his stomach. It was nearly dusk by the time they’d arrived to town, and it was lucky for them that the woman who ran the inn still had her doors open. Jongwoon did have some money from what he’d filched before his attempt at running away, but they’d been given a generous discount after the woman began to fuss over Jongwoon, the stars practically visible in her eyes, and Ryeowook used it to their full advantage.

“Very nice,” Jongwoon murmurs, rubbing his thumb lightly over Ryeowook’s hip, musing over how much things can change with just a few decisions, how quickly. If he’d been asked a day ago if he could even imagine being able to hold Ryeowook against him like this again, he’d probably have only been able to dream it so. “And now that we’ve had to go through that once, I’m _never_ letting someone take you away from me again, they’ll have to kill me first.”

"Yes well, I would very much prefer you alive," Ryeowook replies, breathing in the scent of Jongwoon's neck. His arms tighten around Jongwoon as even the mere thought of his lover dying sends his heart in a panic, and he has to calm himself down, telling himself _Jongwoon isn't going to die, he's right here, I won't let him die._

"I'm not going anywhere," Jongwoon assures quietly, kissing a trail from the crown of Ryeowook's head, down his forehead and temple, over the apple of his cheek and finally stopping at his lips, his kisses comforting and gentle. "Never again. I'm not going to run anymore, and I certainly don't actually plan on dying, Ryeowook. I'm in it for the long run."

“Jongwoon,” Ryeowook sighs, leaning up to catch his lips with the older man’s, relishing in the feel of them, of Jongwoon, eyes sliding shut as their kisses slowly grow more insistent, leftover passion from the morning returning. “I am too, as long as you’ll have me at least. I won’t give up this time, I’ll fight for us, for _you_.” 

“Forever sounds nice, doesn’t it?” Jongwoon murmurs against Ryeowook’s soft lips, hands slipping under the edge of the younger man’s shirt and gliding over the warm skin of his back, fingers ticking over the bumps of his spine. Ryeowook’s hands curl into the back of Jongwoon’s shirt, and shivers when Jongwoon’s tongue sweeps through his mouth, pulling himself closer and getting a leg over Jongwoon’s hip, straddling his waist. “Because I’d like to have you for that long, Ryeowook, if you don’t have any objections.”

"Never," Ryeowook replies, pulling back only slightly, before relenting in the battle for dominance and letting Jongwoon's tongue take the lead. Their cocks are quickly stiffening against each other, and Jongwoon relishes in Ryeowook's weight on top of him, pressed as close together as they can, hips to hips and chest to chest. Ryeowook pulls back again, eyes sparkling with love and lust. "I would never object to forever with you."

He takes Jongwoon's hand in his, opening his fingers and pressing his own against it, his own fingers slightly longer than Jongwoon's. Jongwoon smiles softly, and moves to link their little fingers. "You promise?" he whispers, joking lilt in his voice but there's an underlying fear that this is all just a dream and he'll wake up in the snow, alone again.

“Promise,” Ryeowook whispers, smiling gently at Jongwoon as he hears the shake in his voice, leaning their foreheads together and curling their pinkies together tightly. He knows Jongwoon might be joking a bit, but he means it, feeling a pang in his heart at spending anything less than as long as he could with Jongwoon. He untangles his hand from Jongwoon’s and leans in, catching the older man’s lips in a soft kiss and framing his face with his hands. “You’ll have me as long as the world allows it, I’ll always be with you, Jongwoon.”

The grin that breaks out on Jongwoon’s face is worth more than words can express, and Ryeowook can’t remember the last time he saw the man so happy, peppering glancing kisses off the corners of Jongwoon’s lips. 

Ryeowook's hands slide from either side of Jongwoon's face down to his shoulders, where Ryeowook flashes a teasing smirk before trailing his kisses down Jongwoon's jaw and neck, stopping to nibble slightly on the adam's apple there. Jongwoon moans and it vibrates deliciously against Ryeowook's lips, and the smaller man shivers before pushing the irritatingly annoying shirt out of the way and proceeding to kiss down the smooth expanse of chest. 

When Ryeowook shows no sign of stopping at his navel, only giving a flick of tongue there before kissing even further down, Jongwoon's breath hitches in his throat. "Ryeowook, what... what are you doing?"

Ryeowook doesn’t answer verbally, simply smiling against Jongwoon’s hip, teasingly biting the skin there and gazing up at Jongwoon coyly, grin tugging at his lips. His nails scrape over the seam of Jongwoon’s pants and he can feel the shiver that runs through Jongwoon’s body, pulling back to look Jongwoon in the eye as he hooks his fingers under the other man’s pants, dragging them down slowly and enjoying the wide eyed look Jongwoon gives him, nervous query of _Ryeowook...?_ slipping from his lips again.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryeowook murmurs, eyes sparkling as he looks at Jongwoon, the flush on the older man’s cheeks entirely too appealing, rubbing his thumbs over the soft skin of the inside of Jongwoon’s thighs, mouth following a path over warm skin before pressing a kiss to the tip of his cock, holding Jongwoon’s hips back when they buck violently, sharp gasp escaping the older man’s mouth. “Just let me take care of you.”

"Just don't be too loud," he adds with a coy wink, before giving an experimental lick to the underside of Jongwoon's cock. "You don't want to break the poor innkeeper's heart after she was so nice to give us this room for so cheap." Jongwoon wants to groan at how absolutely _unappealing_ the thought of that old woman right now is, but ends up groaning for a different reason entirely when Ryeowook takes the head of his dick in his mouth, working his frustrating tongue around it.

Stars are dancing in his vision and he wonders how obscene this must look, the idea of someone's mouth on him completely foreign to him. But when Ryeowook pushes further down the shaft he really can't complain, and he slaps a hand over his mouth to keep the scream from echoing into the room as he feels his cock touch the back of Ryeowook's throat.

“I, Oh my, Ryeowook,” Jongwoon babbles around his hand, nearly biting his fingers off as Ryeowook sucks hard, tongue dipping into his slit and making him see white for a moment, free hand twining in Ryeowook’s hair, trying to get more of that wonderful heat around him. The moans bubble up in his throat before he can stop them, and he can swear he sees Ryeowook smirking, but any objections die in his throat at the sight of Ryeowook’s mouth stretched around him, spit dribbling out the corners of his mouth and thumbs still pressing against Jongwoon’s increasingly restless hips, purring as Jongwoon’s hand tightens in his hair.

Ryeowook could nearly grin at the senseless pleas spilling from Jongwoon’s lips, taking him deeper and ignoring his gag reflex, the look of absolute bliss on Jongwoon’s face making it all worth it, working his tongue around the head and loosening his grip so Jongwoon can shallowly thrust into his throat. He sees the way Jongwoon’s chest heaves and knows he’s close, bobbing his head faster, knowing Jongwoon is teetering on the edge of his climax.

His own erection is bouncing in his lap, but he resists the urge to touch himself, keeping a steady grip on Jongwoon's hips to steady himself though his fingers itch at the urge to ease the throbbing pleasure. Instead he focuses on pleasuring Jongwoon, the absolute very least that he can do to make up for all the heartache this past week, and so he starts to hum a random melody, his throat vibrating around Jongwoon's cock.

Jongwoon is reduced to panting loudly, and when Ryeowook begins to hum he throws his head back into the mattress. Ryeowook stops bobbing his head but keeps humming, the pulsing pressure concentrated on the largest vein finally driving him over the edge and his jaw falls slack in a long, drawn out moan. He comes hard into Ryeowook's mouth, and the younger milks him for everything he has and swallows as much of it as he can, what little he misses dribbling out of the corners of his lips as he draws slowly back.

Jongwoon’s chest heaves as he comes down from space, the world slowly righting itself again eyes locked onto Ryeowook’s, the younger man’s eyes sparkling as he stares back at Jongwoon, the awe on the older man’s face bringing a giggle to his lips, hand coming up to wipe the excess come away. He doesn’t miss the way Jongwoon’s eyes follow his hand, and smirks, starting a bit as Jongwoon pulls him up suddenly, groaning as his cock grinds against Jongwoon’s thigh. The older man is about to kiss him when he turns his head the side, Jongwoon’s lips landing on his neck instead.

“You won’t like the taste,” Ryeowook murmurs hesitantly into Jongwoon’s shoulder, knowing how new Jongwoon is to all of this and not wanting to throw him too deep into the unknown. Jongwoon makes a sound of disappointment in his throat, but continues kissing down Ryeowook’s neck, biting directly over his previous mark, hand snaking over Ryeowook’s hip, Ryeowook’s hands finding grip on his shoulders and fingernails digging there.

"Well, even so," Jongwoon murmurs as he kisses his way back up Ryeowook's jaw and coming to look him at eye level, his face alight with lingering lust and mischief. "I figure I have a favor to return, since you treated me so well." One of his hands trace around the front of Ryeowook's chest, fleeting touches ghosting over his prominent collarbones and going straight down, pulling Ryeowook's pants away before calloused fingers wrap around Ryeowook's cock for the second time, more confident this time around.

Ryeowook mewls and drops his head down on Jongwoon's shoulder as the touches send sparks of electricity through him, hips automatically snapping into the fist that Jongwoon's fingers make. Jongwoon loves the way his eyes scrunch closed in pleasure and he thinks, taste be damned he really wants to kiss Ryeowook. He can't _not_ kiss him when he's making those delicious sounds.

So he does, holding Ryeowook’s chin in place with his available and crushing their lips together, Ryeowook’s moan morphing into a gasp of surprise as Jongwoon continues to pump him, quickly melting into the kiss, into Jongwoon, tugging him as close as he can, almost going cross eyed from how hard he is. Jongwoon’s teeth catch on his bottom lip and it’s all he can do not to whimper, nearly shaking with the pleasure coursing through his veins, almost dizzying as Jongwoon’s hand on him begins to move faster.

Jongwoon shudders at the taste of himself in Ryeowook’s mouth, mixed with something essentially Ryeowook, and finds it not nearly as unpleasant as Ryeowook made it out to be, licking at the corners of the younger man’s mouth, twisting their tongues together, mapping out every corner of Ryeowook’s mouth and swallowing every sweet sound that escapes when he brushes his thumb over the head, twists his hand. Ryeowook’s eyes flutter shut and he nearly bites through Jongwoon’s lip, world spinning behind his eyes. 

His vision fades quickly to white as Jongwoon begins tug faster and faster, and he feels the tight coil in his stomach curling and curling until the pressure is too much and he explodes over Jongwoon's hand, pent up emotions releasing with a muffled scream as Jongwoon catches his lips yet again. Jongwoon pumps him through the aftershocks, making him twitch and spasm as he comes down from his high, breathless and elated.

Jongwoon smiles softly and brushes Ryeowook's bangs out of his face with his clean hand, and Ryeowook sighs in content. "We should rest now," he murmurs, pressing a less heated but no less loving kiss to Ryeowook's abused lips. "We have a long way to go still, we'll have to get up early in the morning."

“I suppose so,” Ryeowook mumbles, burying his face in Jongwoon’s shoulder and unwilling to even move to clean up, relishing in the feel of Jongwoon against him, warm and slowly lulling him into drowsiness, exhaustion of the day catching up to him as his adrenaline fades. He feels Jongwoon’s arms slide to his waist, grip tightening as he turns them sideways, curling around Ryeowook and tangling their legs together, resting his head atop Ryeowook’s hair, sighing softly. “Might as well enjoy a night in bed, yeah?”   
Jongwoon hums agreement against the back of Ryeowook’s neck, thankful for the bed they’re in. It makes him chuckle a bit at how much one night in the snow and cold can make you appreciate the simple things. Though he’s sure he wouldn’t trade that night for anything, sure he’d be willing to rest anywhere as long as Ryeowook is against him like this, warm and pressed against him, reminding him so much of the times in their bed in the house by the ocean.

Ryeowook’s hands come up to interlace with Jongwoon’s over his stomach, and he smiles as exhaustion begins to settle in, pressing himself more comfortably back against Jongwoon, letting the older man’s warmth begin to lull him to sleep. The room is dark around them as night continues to settle in, and it matches the black behind his eyes, fluttering shut as the puffs of Jongwoon’s breath against his neck pull him out of consciousness, dreamless sleep over taking his mind.

...

"Jinseon, dear... please come out." 

Jinseon sighs as her father pleads from the other side of the locked door for the fifth time that morning. She knows he's only worried for her but she can't help but harbor a bit of resentment for the man. After all, if it weren't for his insistence she wouldn't _be_ in this mess if it weren't for him. Well, Lord Kim also had a lot to do with it, and she's just as bitter toward him too. 

The thought of that man makes her shiver. After Ryeowook left the night before last she peeked in to get an idea of what she should expect, but she was taken by surprise to see Lord Kim completely out cold on the floor, blood dripping profusely from a horribly swollen nose, probably broken. She couldn't bring herself to feel bad for the man, instead praying that Ryeowook knew what he was doing before scurrying off to her room and locking herself safely in. The letter to Siwon was sent out the next morning and now, here she sits, locked away from even her own father, waiting for the calvary.

“I’m sorry father,” She calls back through the door, and hears a sigh of relief at her finally answering him, though she’s sure it won’t be the answer he’s waiting to hear. “I won’t be coming out of here anytime soon. I do not look forward to what Lord Kim has to say now that my...husband has left like this. And there are no attachments that bind me here now, I won’t just follow these orders blindly anymore.”

“Jinseon, just because he was a coward and did such terrible things to the Lord does not mean-” Her father starts, and Jinseon feels a flicker of anger in her heart, wondering why none of these men can really see that what they’re doing is what drives them all to do these things, to run and fight and suffer.

“Don’t you dare call him a coward, father,” She hisses, hoping that Ryeowook is in fact okay, wherever he is, and that he managed to find Jongwoon. “That man took everything from him, he deserves to at least be with the one that he loves. The two of them have shown me that you can’t just lie back and wait for your own happiness, you have to fight for it. It is what I now intend to do.”

Her father sighs heavily, clearly audible through the tense silence. It hits Jinseon that her father probably isn't aware that Ryeowook has another, like she does, and curses her own slack tongue as he may tell Lord Kim anything he knows about where Ryeowook might be going. "I wish you would understand that this is the best future for you, my daughter."

Jinseon scoffs. " _This_? A life chained to a man I do not love, and who does not love me, is the best future for me? Somehow I'm more than a little inclined to disagree. I have been nothing but a filial child to you, the least you could have done for me is take my own choices into consideration. My whole life, I've let you and Mother make the decisions for me, because I believed that you indeed were preparing me for a good future. Now I'm making my own decision, and that decision is my happiness, _not_ your naïve excuse for a good life."

 

There’s silence between the door, and Jinseon thinks she would be able to cut the tension with a knife, feeling a weight lift itself off her shoulders as the words slip from her lips, years of holding them in releasing themselves all at once. She knows her parents have always meant the best for her, but it’s time they let her make her own decisions, whether they liked it or not.

“Very well,” She hears her father sigh after a long period has passed, nearly feeling his resignation through the door. Her heart hurts momentarily for him, as much as she may hate what he has put her through, she cannot fault her father for simply wanting what he believed to be ideal for her. “I will let you do this, daughter, and you shall learn the consequences of your own actions, whatever they may be.”

Jinseon says nothing further, not letting her emotions get the better of her tongue, because she really means no disrespect for her father. Perhaps he had been trying to scare her into changing her mind, her fear of punishment as a child always being a successful way to get her to act in line. But she is no longer a child and she stands her ground, so with another sigh her father leaves, muffled footsteps echoing down the corridor until the fade into silence. 

She flops back against the pillow, worrying a strand of her long hair, for once just let down and not teased and primped the way a 'proper lady' should wear it. She only prays that the messenger she sent with her letter yesterday has the sense to be discreet when looking for Siwon, and more than that, she hopes he gets here soon. It's a day's journey to the north to the palace, and even then the home of the King that governs the entire country is a huge place. "Godspeed, dear messenger," she whispers, "and bring my lover back to me."

...

The snow glistens on the ground in the morning light, and Sungmin smiles a bit, hoping maybe the sun will come out today and help them out a bit, chill still permeating the air.

Henry’s hand is linked with his as they walk out of the last town on their journey, having made enough money off his catches of fish from the day before to afford a room at the inn. It was close, but luckily the innkeeper had remembered them as friends of _that handsome man_ and been starry eyed enough to give them a bit of a discount. He chuckles a bit at the memory and Henry smiles brightly at him, looking a bit better after having two nights of proper rest, walking further on his own each day.

They're making good time, putting three days' worth of walking between them and the Capitol, but they're still trying to hurry, as they have absolutely no idea how long it takes to mobilize an army of miners. Sungmin is afraid they're not even a day behind them, but Henry calms him by reminding him that the miners plan to live here while they work, that it'll take more than one day to prepare for such an endeavor. 

Henry tightens his fingers around Sungmin's, giving him a reassuring smile, more hope in his heart than he's had in days though he knows what awaits them when they reach the cliff face where the river disappears beneath the ground. The last time they made this journey, it was much warmer, and as much as he fears drowning the threat of shock or hypothermia is going to be very, very real.

But he trusts Sungmin, and knows that the other man would never willingly put him in any kind of danger, so he can only pray that they’ll be able to make it down there in one piece. He’s seen how edgy Sungmin has gotten the closer they get to their destination though, and only hopes that the older man isn’t planning anything too risky for himself, having seen first hand how self sacrificing Sungmin is. His hand goes to his neck out of habit, used to rubbing the small coin that he knows rests above his chest when the worry begins to gnaw at him, but instead he feels empty air, eyes widening.

Sungmin sighs internally as he sees Henry smile, sending a weak one of his own back. Truthfully, he still has no idea what to do with the younger man. They’ve passed virtually all places that Henry could have waited safely for him, and now there seems no choice but to plow ahead, even if he knows he cannot bring Henry with him back to the village. If anyone is to face the consequences there for them it should be him, not Henry. He’s about to ask how Henry is, asking often to make sure the younger doesn’t pass out on him in the snow, when Henry’s eyes suddenly go wide, curse slipping through his lips.

"What's the matter?" Sungmin asks, fretting over Henry right away. "Is it your head? Your stomach, do I need to carry you again?" Nearly losing Henry has made him so protective of the younger boy, much more so than before, and he's constantly worrying about him. Henry shakes his head, but his eyes are bright as though he's about to cry, hand coming up to his neck.

"My coin is gone..." he murmurs, looking over his shoulder at the tracks they made in the snow, stomach dropping at how far they go on. "I don't know how, I never take it off... the clasp must have broken or something, that chain is really old..." his bottom lip trembles, clearly devastated by the loss. Sungmin murmurs, _Oh, Henry..._ as Henry takes a shuddering breath and sighs. "I guess it can't be helped."

Sungmin’s heart pangs as he sees Henry furiously wipes at his eyes, tears slipping out unbidden, turning his face away from Sungmin so he doesn’t have to see him cry. He feels a bit foolish, crying like a small child over a lost piece of jewelry of all things, especially when there’s so much more at stake. But it’s the last thing he has of his old life, still remembering the day his mother had first clasped it around his neck, smiling and telling him to _always remember the worth of a single coin, little one, all great things start from small beginnings, just like you_.

“We need to keep going, right?” Henry says weakly, willing the tears to stop coming already, the memories coming back to him all at once again, working away at the hope he’d managed to gather along their journey. “We still have a lot of ground to cover, and time is of the essence, isn’t it? Don’t worry about me, Min, I’m sorry for holding us up, just give me a minute.”

Sungmin doesn't skip a beat, scooping Henry up onto his back and turning on his heel, going back the way they came. Henry is so taken by surprise that for a minute, he's completely speechless, before he tries to squirm out of Sungmin's arms. "Sungmin, stop, what are you doing?"

"Looking for your coin," Sungmin says simply, scouring the tracks for any glint of copper. "And don't tell me to stop because I won't, I know how much that coin means to you. I lost the portrait of my mother and that was so devastating, I never want you to have to feel that pain."

"But your family..." Henry starts, but Sungmin is having none of it. He merely hitches Henry higher on his back, going much slower than they were before so that he doesn't accidentally overlook the small coin. Tears well up in Henry's eyes again, this time because he's so touched by Sungmin's actions, and he presses a grateful kiss to the back of Sungmin's neck and wiggles again. "At least let me walk on my own," he says softly, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“Nope,” Sungmin says resolutely, tightening his grip on Henry’s legs and feeling the tears drip onto his back, smiling softly at the lips on his neck. His eyes search the snow as the back track, hoping that it isn’t too far back but willing to go as far as needs be, not wanting to put Henry through the agony of losing one of the few things he has dear to him. “You don’t need to waste your energy going back, just keep an eye out for if you can see your necklace. You can walk again once we find it, okay?”

“Thank you,” Henry murmurs, finally stopping his squirming and dedicating himself to raking the ground with his eyes, looking for any hint of a glint, thankful that the ground is still mostly snow covered and hoping that the copper will stand out well against it, especially in the morning light. He doesn’t quite know how to express how grateful he is to Sungmin, even with so much for them to do and time stacked against them, still willing to stop and look for this small thing of his. “Sungmin, really.”

They backtrack almost the entire way back to the town before Sungmin spots the coin glistening in the snow, half buried under their own footprints. As Henry had suspected, the clasp had snapped off and it must have slid down his clothes without him feeling it, too numb from the cold. Henry wants to cry again in happiness, and instead whispers _thank you thank you thank you_ until Sungmin shushes him with a soft kiss.

"You don't have to thank me, Henry," he replies gently, smiling and wiping the inevitable tears from Henry's face. His heart breaks now at the thought of what fate might await the boy in his hometown and is determined more than ever to protect him. He sighs a bit, thinking of the best way to tell Henry he wants him to stay back in the town until he returns, tearing a long, thin strip from his cloak and replacing the useless chain and threading the cloth through the coin. He takes Henry's hand with a sad smile, squeezing it reassuringly before tying the coin to his wrist. "There. Now you'll realize right away if it ever falls off, and this way it's always in your sight."

His gaze lingers more than strictly necessary on Henry's hand, and when the older boy refuses to meet his gaze, Henry frowns. Sungmin is deep in thought, a contemplative scour dawning over his face, and something tells Henry he isn't going to like what is going through Sungmin's head.

“Sungmin?” He ventures softly, trying to get the older man to meet his eyes, reaching out to take hold of his hand. He slightly dreads what Sungmin might say to him, heart beating loudly in his chest. For some reason he just knows that whatever Sungmin is thinking isn’t going to be something that he wants to hear, finally meeting Sungmin’s eyes and seeing the conflict brewing in them, so different from the usual care and hope directed at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Henry...” Sungmin sighs deeply, seeing the worry in the younger man’s face, wincing a little bit and hoping Henry will at least listen to him, hoping he’ll understand he just wants him to stay safe. Sungmin knows he’ll never forgive himself if Henry were to get hurt, or Luzo forbid _die_ trying to get back underground. He takes Henry’s hands in his before he speaks, rubbing his thumbs over Henry’s palms as he speaks softly. “I know you aren’t going to like to hear this, but I think that you should stay here in town while I go back to the village. I know, I know you don’t want to, but please, you still aren’t feeling well and you know what they’re like, I’ll be lucky if I can get down there unscathed. I just want the best for you, look at it from where I’m standing, I just want you to be safe.”

Henry feels his eyes widen but his vision tunnels in around him, nearly passing out on the spot as he knows Sungmin is speaking but all he hears is _I'm going to leave you here_. "No, no, no," he chants, latching on to Sungmin's arm and refusing to let go. "Sungmin, you promised you wouldn't leave me," he says pitifully, eyes wide and wild. 

"Henry," Sungmin presses, trying to grasp ahold of Henry's rationality, hurting the younger man the last thing he wants to do but he just can't possibly think of another alternative. "I don't want anything to happen you. They think you a demon, and not to mention we're going to have to go through the river again--"

"I don't care," Henry interrupts, panicking and heart pounding in his throat. Sungmin's heart breaks all over at the way Henry flinches when he tries to pull his arm out, clinging even tighter. "You promised, Sungmin, you _promised_ , please don't leave me."

“I don’t want to,” Sungmin says quickly, trying to calm Henry down as he sees the younger man’s shoulders begin to shake, trying to make him understand why this is the best thing for him, eventually wrenching his arm out of Henry’s hold so he can hold his shoulders, Henry’s arms almost immediately latching back onto Sungmin’s biceps. “ _Listen_ to me, Henry. I’ll come back for you, I promise, but please just try to understand. They will _kill_ you, I cannot let you die like that.”

“No!” Henry sobs out, not even able to see Sungmin’s face anymore as tears cloud his vision, shaking heavily as Sungmin’s words have the opposite effect as intended, only driving him into even more of a panic, gripping Sungmin like he’s going to leave him right then. “No, Sungmin, you don’t understand, what if you _don’t_ come back? Clinton left me, with the intention of coming back too, what if that happens to you? Please don’t leave me, Sungmin, I can’t be alone like that again, I just can’t, you _promised_.”

Suddenly he's not in the snow anymore, he's in that dark forest and seven years old again, except this time he's got no one, he's all alone and he feels his chest seize at the overwhelming fear that grips him. Everything is muffled, though he can vaguely hear Sungmin calling his name, and he can't tell if the shaking is his own violent tremors or Sungmin shaking him by the shoulders trying to bring him back to reality. Breath comes in short, panting gasps in between the sobs and _he can't be alone, not again_.

Sungmin watches in horror as Henry completely loses it, going further over the edge than he's ever seen the poor boy go. _What have I done...?_ he thinks, holding Henry by the shoulders , trying to steady him as he sways dangerously on his feet, hyperventilating as the panic sets in. "Henry, _Henry_!" Sungmin shouts, shaking Henry slightly, trying to snap him out of it.

But Henry doesn’t hear him, lost in his own world and words soon becoming slurred together, a strange mix of his home language and whimpers of _don’t leave me_ escaping like a mantra, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. The only thing that even keeps him remotely anchored to reality is his grip on Sungmin’s arms, nails digging into the skin beneath the older man’s shirt, Sungmin who wants to _leave him_. 

“Henry!” Sungmin all but yells at him, removing his hands from the young man’s shoulders in order to frame his face, stopping the rapid shaking of Henry’s head and trying to make him look at him, to see him and snap out of whatever world of the past that he’s lost himself in. He wipes away some of the tears streaming over Henry’s cheeks, and feels a stab in his heart knowing that _he_ caused this. “This is _not_ the same as what happened back then, I know how much hurt that caused you, is still causing you, but I swear to you I will never leave you like that. Please, Henry, come back to me.”

It seems like nothing will get through to Henry, so possessed by the demons that have haunted him for so long, that Sungmin wants to cry himself. His eyes burn and he wants to punch himself in the face for breaking Henry so badly, almost wishing that Ryeowook were here to make good on his threat, because quite frankly he is _terrified_ to see his Henry like this. Even now, he realizes, he's making empty promises -- there's no guarantee that his father won't have him killed on the spot -- and it makes his stomach turn at how despicable he is. How he ever made Henry his, he isn't sure, but he knows he sure as hell doesn't deserve him.

Henry's panic attack only deepens when he sees the tears shining in Sungmin's eyes, terror on his face so closely mirroring Whitney right before she died. It's like he's reliving the absolutely worst day of his life all over again and he can't form words at all anymore, reduced to whimpers and sobs and clinging to Sungmin so tightly he feels his fingers might snap. Sungmin is trembling now too, suppressing tears and trying to be strong for Henry and protect him but if protecting him means putting Henry in this state, he doesn't know if he has the heart to leave him.

"Henry, please..." Sungmin chokes, but Henry can't respond, far beyond rational thought at this point. Sungmin continues to stroke Henry's face with his thumbs, and finally an idea strikes him, and he pulls Henry in for the deepest kiss he can manage without suffocating Henry. The younger boy hiccups into his mouth and Sungmin pulls away so that Henry can breathe, but peels his arms out of Henry's grip so that he can throw them around the smaller boy's frame, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Henry," he sobs quietly into Henry's hair. "I'm so sorry."

A crack of the present breaks through to Henry when Sungmin kisses him, sight clearing a bit as he can almost feel Sungmin’s love for him, latching onto it like a lifeline and curling his fingers in the older man’s shirt when he’s pulled against him. He can feel Sungmin’s tears in his hair and it only makes him cry harder, burying his face in Sungmin’s neck, though he feels strangely calmer than before, memories slowly releasing their hold on him until the hole in his heart dulls to a dull ache, gasping for breath against Sungmin’s shoulder.

“I love you too,” He whispers, voice feeling raspy and he cringes at it on his ears, tears still streaming down his cheeks. He really does know that Sungmin wants what’s best for him, to keep him safe, but he knows he won’t be able to keep going if Sungmin leaves him like this and doesn’t come back. “But you _promised_ me, Sungmin. I don’t care if I die, if you leave me here and die down there I’ll have nothing left to live for, they may as well kill me. You don’t know how empty it feels to be all alone in this world, please don’t make me go through that again.”

Sungmin sighs heavily, hugging Henry tighter against his chest. All he really wants to do is protect the younger boy and seeing as he nearly failed the first time Henry encountered his people, Sungmin was willing to do anything to keep him away from that. But if his idea of protection breaks him like that...Sungmin shudders. He never wants to see Henry like that ever again.

“I won’t leave you,” Sungmin whispers into Henry’s hair. “Forgive me for even thinking of leaving you Henry, I just can’t imagine what I would do if the hurt you again down there. I’m so sorry, I was so foolish.”

Henry finally calms down as Sungmin’s words wash over him, breath escaping him in a rush as he tightens his arms around the older man’s back, burying his face in his shoulder. He hates that he gets like this, but he knows he wouldn’t be able to make it if Sungmin simply left him somewhere like that, with no guarantee of him ever coming back, would drive him over the edge completely. It’s a long moment before he can finally bear to pull himself away from Sungmin, edging back only enough to look the other man in the eye, smiling even though residual tears still shine in his eyes.

“Thank you,” He murmurs, smiling tiredly and leaning forward to brush his lips over Sungmin’s, just wanting to be close to him and letting the gentle kiss work on his tattered nerves. “Let me do this with you, Sungmin. I can do anything, endure anything as long as you’re with me, please don’t worry for me so much.”

"Of course I'm going to worry about you," Sungmin replies, leaning back and hoping the apology in his eyes and words will ever be enough for making Henry break like that. He sweeps the bangs out of Henry's face and thumbs away the last of the tears where they had stained Henry's cheeks. "You're so precious to me, Henry. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Henry sighs, leaning into Sungmin's touch. He understands Sungmin's concern but the older man can't seem to grasp the fact that he feels the same way -- that if anything were to happen to Sungmin, Henry is positive he wouldn't be able to handle it. But he lets it go for now, since Sungmin seems to have given up on the idea of leaving him behind, so his fears are, for the most part, assuaged.

“We’ll just have to watch out for each other,” He says softly, keeping himself pressed against Sungmin for one more moment before breaking away, taking Sungmin’s hand in his and smiling weakly, tugging him away from town again, back towards their destination. “We’ve made it this far, a bit more and then we can be free to do whatever we want, go wherever we please. Doesn’t that sound nice, Min?”

Sungmin smiles and squeezes Henry’s hand tightly when the younger man links them together, lacing their fingers and following him back where they came, seeing the glint of the coin on Henry’s wrist. Henry seems almost back to his normal self from the tone of his voice, the shy smile on his lips, and Sungmin is thankful, heart still aching at having caused the other man to even be like that in the first place. A soft smile graces his face at the hopeful tone in Henry’s voice as they walk, and he chuckles lightly.

The sound of gurgling water slowly grows louder as they continue walking in silence, hands linked as they both cling on to each other. Sungmin frowns as the smile on Henry's face turns a little pained, as though it physically hurts him to even think about water, but he wisely bites his tongue, instead squeezing Henry's hand again. "I'm here for you, Henry. Every step of the way." 

"I'm all right," Henry murmurs in reply. Honestly, he isn't, but he's been steeling himself for this ever since Sungmin broke him out of the dungeons, ever since Sungmin made up his mind to go back. And really, he doesn't want it any other way. He only wishes it didn't have to involve water. Even the prospect of facing Sungmin's father doesn't frighten him nearly as much as the most harrowing part of their journey -- jumping into the river.

By some miracle the river isn’t frozen when they finally reach it, fast flow keeping it safe from the chilled temperature, and Henry shudders at the sight of it, only being able to remember the way it pulled him down, throat starting to close at just the memory of it. Sungmin notices the panic beginning to dawn on Henry’s face and gently rubs his thumb over the younger man’s hand, whispering to him softly, and hoping that he’s right and this will be able to take them back down safely enough.

“Everything will be okay, Henry,” He says softly, making sure that Henry is looking at him, smiling encouragingly and hoping he can break some of the poorly hidden fear in Henry’s eyes, the boy seeming to pale as they come close to the river. “Just hold onto me, we’ll make it, don’t worry.”

“Hey,” Sungmin is about to pull Henry over so they can jump when the younger man squawks at him, holding his arm back and almost looking offended as Sungmin looks at him puzzlingly. “That’s all you have to send me off with? At least give me a kiss to remember, if I’m really going to drown this time then I want something nice to hang onto into the afterlife.”

Sungmin blinks for a moment, not sure whether he should laugh or worry about Henry's statement. He settles on a nervous chuckle before pulling Henry closer, pressing their foreheads together and looking right into Henry's eyes. "You won't drown," he whispers, before pushing his lips down to meet Henry's in gentle but passionate kiss, praying that this is one promise he can keep. "But I'm not objecting a kiss from you."

Henry smiles weakly, not sure he'll ever be ready to do this again, knowing that even if they survive everything that awaits them down there, they'll have to do this yet again, just to get back. If Sungmin even decides to come back. He gulps loudly, and holds on to Sungmin's hand tightly. "I'm ready when you are," he breathes. "Let's just get this over with."

"Alright," Sungmin nods, slipping his fingers from between Henry's and wrapping them around his wrist, motioning for Henry to do the same, a much more stable grip than simply locking fingers. "On the count of three, and whatever you do don't let go, okay? I promise, I won't let you drown." Henry nods in reply, squeezing Sungmin's wrist as tight as he can.

"One... two... three!" 

And they jump.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ghosts rise from the dead with warnings.

Every nerve of Henry’s body stands on end as he feels the freezing water close in around him, and it takes all he has not to start struggling immediately, gripping Sungmin’s wrist as tightly as he can as the river pulls them along.

It’s colder than before, and Sungmin is reminded that it was the so called _summer_ when they tried this last, and now that the ground temperatures have cooled, it makes perfect sense for the water to have as well. Though he rather wishes it wasn’t so, as it only makes the risks go up, the longer they’re underwater puts up the risk for any number of things to go wrong. So he drags Henry along with the current, hoping they’ll be able to hold their breath long enough to make it to some kind of outcropping.

Henry thinks that his lungs might be ready to explode when Sungmin suddenly halts in front of him, arm nearly pulled out of his socket as the current tries to pull him along, and for a terrifying moment he’s sure that he’s going to be carried away, that his luck will finally have run out on him.

It's then that he feels himself being pulled upward, and as soon as his head breaks the surface he takes a gasping breath and almost begins to panic when he feels Sungmin's hand slip from around his wrist. The rapid current is disorienting and it takes him a good moment before he realizes Sungmin has already pulled himself onto the bank, and is trying to slip his arms under Henry's to hoist him up. He collects himself enough to scrabble for purchase on the rocks, toes clinging desperately under the water to try and give himself some leverage. 

"Shh, shh, you're okay," Sungmin soothes, as Henry flails in his arms. "Calm down, let me pull you up." Henry can't find words, fear constricting his throat, so he just nods tightly and stills but doesn't relax completely. Sungmin gives a great heave and with a soft grunt he pulls Henry out of the water, falling back on the rocky bank and Henry collapsing in a lump on top of him, shaking and frozen to the bone.

"I will never get used to that," Henry shudders, clinging to Sungmin's sopping shirt. "Ever." Sungmin chuckles breathlessly, honestly relieved that they survived that river a second time, wondering what he had ever done in a past life to deserve this kind of luck. In the end he doesn't question it, instead pressing a kiss to the top of Henry's head, glad that the poor boy isn't as bad off as the last time he had to face the river.

“Hopefully you won’t have to,” Sungmin murmurs, holding Henry against him until the shaking dies down a bit, trying to share some of his warmth with the younger man, and whispering to him softly to calm him down. Even if Sungmin can swim, he still doesn’t like the chilled to the bone feeling the river leaves him with, and knows Henry must be feeling it ten fold. “Don’t worry, Henry, you won’t have to go through that too much more, I promise.”

“Thank goodness,” Henry mutters, collecting himself someone and reluctantly pushing away from Sungmin, shaking some of the droplets from his soaked hair, accepting there won’t be much he can do for his clothes. He hears Sungmin’s amused chuckle and figures he must look like a wet dog, pouting as the other man gets up and extends a hand for him to follow, wringing out his sleeves as best he can. “This just isn’t good for my health, Sungmin. Too much more of this and I think I’ll go crazy, too much uncertainty.”

“I know, I know,” Sungmin sighs, holding Henry’s hand tightly and watching worriedly as the younger man wobbles on his feet slightly when he stands, momentarily sagging against Sungmin and not even bothering to stand on his own, simply burying his face in Sungmin’s neck. “But are you okay? Do you need me to carry you again? You shouldn’t push yourself too much, Henry, you’re still not better.”

"I'm fine," Henry says automatically, not feeling very convincing but he has to suck it up. Quite honestly he's exhausted, and cold and terrified, and he wishes that they didn't have to be doing this right now. But they really don't have a choice, not if they want to save Sungmin's family, and Jongwoon's family. And Henry really admires his lover for his unending loyalty, that even though his own father turned his back on him, he's still risking everything for them. 

Which is why he puts on a brave face for Sungmin. With all that he's already been through in his own life, and with all that they've been through over the course of the last three months, he knows that as long as Sungmin is by his side he can do anything, and he honestly believes that. Scared though he might be, Henry knows Sungmin can't do this alone. 

“If you say so,” Sungmin says slowly, hoping that the younger man isn’t lying to him and really isn’t going to pass out on him when they start the trek to the actual village, turning his head to press a kiss to Henry’s hair before letting the other man pull away. Henry’s eyes are sparkling with determination, replacing the fear that had largely been inhabiting them, and Sungmin feels a smile pulling at his lips, twining their hands together and pulling Henry away from the rushing river.

“Remember, you can lean on me too,” Henry murmurs as they begin their walk through the Forbidden Land, hardly able to even remember the fine details of their previous journey through it, so focused on running for their lives. He hopes Sungmin knows where they’re going, and allows the older man to pull him along. “You aren’t alone, Sungmin. I’m here for you, you don’t need to be the only one to bear this burden.”

Sungmin's heart skips a little, touched by the sentiment, and he smiles softly, though he knows Henry can't see it. It shocks him how different the Forbidden Land looks, how much darker it is now, and he realizes his eyes have grown so used to the sun that the light of the lueuror will probably never be as bright to him. It's saddening, he thinks, how crippled and out of his element he feels in a place he spent the majority of his life in. But he squeezes Henry's hand anyway. "It's not your cross to bear, Henry," he assures, not letting on to how nervous he really is. 

Henry shakes his head adamantly. "No, Sungmin, it _is_ my cross to bear. Because when we agreed to _this_ ," he says, shaking their intertwined hands, "I accepted you and all of your burdens that you came with. Don't be so proud that you won't accept my help because I won't let you get off that easily."

Sungmin doesn’t reply, but feels his heart warm immensely at Henry’s words, swallowing his pride and squeezing the younger’s hand tightly, rubbing his thumb gently over it, trying to express to Henry how grateful he is. He wants to tell him that it’s the same in his eyes, that he accepts Henry and every piece of baggage that the other man holds, but he has a feeling Henry already knows, seeing all the love in his eyes when he glances back.

Henry smiles brightly as they continue to make their way through the dimly lit land in comparison to what he’s so used too, quickly navigating the rocky Earth with Sungmin’s guidance. The knot in his stomach grows more and more the closer they get to town, especially when he realizes that they must be going to Sungmin’s home, the older man seeming to grow more determined with each step, Henry clutching his hand like a lifeline.

The distant murmurs of the bustling little village start to echo off the cavern walls way sooner than Henry expects, the memory of escaping the wrath of those voices seemingly a much longer journey in his mind. It isn't much longer before they see the hole in the 'sky', though Sungmin is surprised to see the light that filters in isn't as much as before. Henry notices it too, and his mouth forms a little "o" of realization.

"The undergrowth of the forest must have started growing over it," he explains in a whisper, terrified that if they make too much sound the town will hear them. "That, and there's snow on the ground too... it must be starting to fill it up. I'd say in a few years time it'll naturally seal itself off."

“That’s good,” Sungmin murmurs, hoping that they can stop all of this before it happens and simply let nature take it’s course in secluding the village, and it’s so called valuables, away again. His voice takes on a bit of a teasing tone in an attempt to ease some of the stiffness from Henry’s shoulders, knowing that whatever Henry says he’s still scared out of his wits for what could be to come. “Assuming that nothing unnatural disrupts it again, of course.”

“Are you calling me and Ryeowook unnatural?” Henry huffs, but indulges Sungmin in a slightly less shaky smile, staying only a moment more looking at their hole in the ‘sky’ that began all of this, moving on again. They move slower now though, knowing that the village is so close and both holding the slightly irrational fear that even their breaths could alert them of their presence.

"You know what I meant," Sungmin whispers back, pushing Henry behind him as the cavern wall rounds away; venturing any further would leave them exposed to a clear line of sight from the village. Sungmin peeks cautiously around the corner, keeping an eye out for anyone. The town is alive with hustle and bustle of the early afternoon, and Sungmin quickly pulls his head back before anyone sees him. "We're going to have to wait for the sleep hour chime," he curses softly, pushing Henry a little further back just for ease of mind.

Henry's eyes widen. "But we can't wait! Min, we don't have that kind of time, every minute we waste means the closer those miners are going to get. They can't have been more than a day behind us and they'll probably have horses, too." Sungmin bites his lower lip in worry, trying to consider their options. There is absolutely no way they're going to make it through the heart of town without being spotted now, but Henry is right. "We're going to your home, right? Isn't there another way to get there?"

“Well,” Sungmin bites his lip as he racks his brain to anyway he can think to get there besides the traditional route of crossing straight through town. His eyes light up as an idea finally strikes him, turning to Henry and hoping that this will work and no one will be around, the place he has in mind at least easier to make it through than town. “We could always take a shortcut around the geyser and go through the fields around back. There’s bound to be less people there right now, we could probably make it.”

“We should leave now then,” Henry urges, wanting to get as much ground covered as they can, every second like time passing in an hourglass, time that they can’t afford to lose sitting here and doing nothing. “We have to do as much as we can before those miners get here, we need to find some way to stop this.”

"We still have to be careful," Sungmin reminds him quietly, leading the way back toward the river. "We can still be seen from town, we'll have to crawl low so that they can't see us. My eyesight isn't as good as it used to be here, so they'll be able to spot us more easily if we're careless." Henry nods diligently.

“Got it,” Henry mutters, following carefully behind Sungmin as every inch of him stands on end, almost paranoid that he’ll turn to find a pitchfork digging into his back at any moment. They move slowly and against the ground, river roaring beside them as they make their way towards what was Henry’s prison, what feels to be so long ago. “Lead the way, Min, I’ll just follow.”

Sungmin nods and is thankful that there are no farmers out in any of the fields, glancing through them quickly before he and Henry continue on their way, wanting to get to his old home as quickly as they can, slow pace almost unnerving him even more, though he knows it’s necessary. His lips twitch in a frown as he knows Henry must be tired by now too, moving more in one day than he has the whole week, checking behind him regularly to make sure the younger man hasn’t dropped off on him.

They inch past the geysers, Henry clinging to Sungmin's arm tightly and purposely looking anywhere but at the holes in the ground until the corridor leading around to the pastures is in sight. Sungmin wonders why he never questioned why the world he grew up in was limited by the boundaries of the cavern walls, but he supposes that since it was all he knew, why _would_ he question it?

They pad down the corridor as lightly as their feet allow, Sungmin terrified of the echo that might give them away, but they make it to the far pasture without alerting anyone to their presence. Sungmin figures the farmers must be in with their families for the midday meal, which works out great for them. The cows feeding in the fields cast curious looks as they inch past but make no unusual noises, something Sungmin is immensely grateful for.

“Just a bit farther,” He whispers to Henry, the other man nodding tightly, eyes still darting about for any sign of movement beyond the livestock. The way is still clear as they edge through the fields, thankfully, and Sungmin sighs in relief as he begins to see his old house come into view, hurrying his and Henry’s pace as they’re nearly home free, knowing it’s likely for the farmers to come back to the fields quickly after eating. 

“Wait,” Sungmin stops them just as they’re within sight of the home, turning to Henry and speaking quickly, not wanting to waste time but making sure that Henry hears what he’s trying to tell him. “Henry, if things get bad or something happens, I want you to run, okay? You’re the one they’ll be gunning for if anything, if that happens then you need to run into the Forbidden Land and wait for me.”

Henry's eyes widen, and he shakes his head fervently. "No, Sungmin, I won't leave you to the likes of that mob! I told you, I'd rather die than be left alone and you know full well what they're capable of--"

"Of course I know what they're capable of," Sungmin interrupts. "I spent 22 years with them. Which means I know how to work them if I need to. My father may be harsh but he does what he does because he feels it's what's best for the town. But you're an outsider, a threat to them, and I don't know how many strings I can pull after being gone for so long. I promise I won't die, but you have to promise me that you'll get out if things go wrong."

“Fine,” Henry relents, knowing that Sungmin will keep him there all day until he agrees with him, recognizing the familiar determination in his eyes. Henry has no plans of running, even if things go bad, but he knows Sungmin needs to hear it from him, knowing the elder of them is only worried for his safety. “As long as you promise to live and come back to me, I’ll agree only this time.”

“Of course, I swear I will,” Sungmin nearly sags in relief as Henry finally agrees with him, not wanting to have to leave Henry in danger without some kind of escape plan. He tightens his grip on Henry’s hand and kisses him once quickly, trying to ease some of the tension and fear still decorating the younger’s eyes, before continuing on their way, anticipation pounding in his heart as they stand directly in front of the door to his former home.

He takes a deep breath, and Henry gives his hand a reassuring squeeze, before he pushes the door open.

....

Sungjin is in the kitchen alone at the midday break, something he's grown accustomed to since the day his brother disappeared. Since then, his father started throwing himself even more into his work, not even coming home for the midday meal, so once again Sungjin is left to fend for himself before he has to go back to the farm. His father keeps scolding him for shirking his Elder training but he'd rather work for Farmer Jungmo than be stuck in a room full of stuffy old men any day.

He sighs as he pulls a plate out from the cabinet, longing for the days where he would set the table for three instead of just one. He's become a bit of a better chef in Sungmin's absence, but he knows his food will never compare to his brother's. Life has become a constant canvas of dreary gray lately.

He’s about to set the plate down on the counter, wondering what there even is for him to scrounge together and call a meal, when he hears the front door creak open, hinges always squeaking thanks to age. His eyebrows shoot up as he thinks his father must have come home for midday break, and groans when he thinks it must be to try and collect him to come meet with the other elder’s for the rest of the day, as he does every so often.

“Father, I told you I’m not going with --” The plate slips from his hands and cracks loudly on the floor as he sees not the familiar face of his father, but rather someone he thought long dead round the corner, eyes meeting those so similar to his own. His mouth drops open and he shakes his head quickly, sure that he isn’t seeing what he thinks he is. “Sungmin? You can’t be here though, you’re dead!”

Sungmin looks relieved to meet the face of his brother and not their father, but then the face of another rounds the corner and Sungjin's heart quickly fills with intense anger and his eyes narrow. "You!" he growls. "Demon, have you come back for more, tormenting me with the illusion of my brother?! I wish they had killed you when they had the chance!"

He makes to throw a fist at Henry but Sungmin catches it, and Sungjin is surprised when Sungmin pushes him back and holds him steady by the shoulders. "Sungjin, stop it! It's me, it's really me!" Sungjin stares into the face of his brother, not at all expecting his supposedly-dead brother to be here, now, in the flesh. Tentatively he brings a hand up to Sungmin's cheek, and it's _warm_ , most certainly alive, and his eyes fill up with tears.

“You’re really my brother, aren’t you?” He says quietly, searching Sungmin’s eyes for any hint of deception, seeing only the warm eyes his been so familiar with all his life, and something deep down tells him that it is no trick. He eyes the demon warily over his brother’s shoulder, though, seeing him stand there awkwardly and still not knowing why he’s there. “But why is _he_ here? He and the other were the ones who took you and Jongwoon away! He’s a demon, he shouldn’t be here, he’s better off dead for what he’s done --”

“Sungjin,” Sungmin interrupts sternly, glancing back at Henry to see that he’s still alright, but the younger man’s eyes are averted, staring at the ground instead. “Henry is no demon, I’ve seen so much in the past few months, things you wouldn’t believe. There’s a whole other world out there, that’s where Henry came from, and where Jongwoon still is right now. But don’t you dare say Henry shouldn’t be here, he’s gone through more hardship in his life than you could even dream of.”

"Sungmin, you sound like a mad man right now," Sungjin breathes, worried at the frenzied look in Sungmin's eyes. "What happened to you? You wouldn't be talking this kind of crazy talk if it were for them, I know you. And how did you even get back here?"

"I'm not crazy," Sungmin assures, leading Sungjin to the table and beckoning Henry over too. Henry is reluctant to sit down, and Sungjin is still glaring warily at him, but Sungmin makes them both sit down. "Listen, Sungjin, I need you to believe me when I tell you, there really is another world besides our own. Luzo blessed me with the opportunity to see it, and I know he sent me there for a reason, because if we hadn't been there, Jongwoon and Ryeowook and Henry and I, we wouldn't have known the danger that's coming our way."

“You’ve gone completely insane,” Sungjin says fiercely, shifting his gaze to his brother and wondering what could have possibly happened since the last time he saw him, seeming to be an entirely new man in front of him. “I have no idea where you think you’ve been, or what you’re prattling on about, but the only danger you’re in is what our father is going to do when he sees you’re back, with _him_ no less.”

Sungmin sighs heavily, not having expected convincing his brother to be easy, but having hoped that he wouldn’t have to explain his entire journey in order to gain his trust. He’s about to speak up again when Henry’s voice interrupts, quiet and unsure, but still slicing through the tension. 

“Your brother is right,” Henry says softly, gazing at his hands so he doesn’t have to see the unmasked hate in Sungjin’s eyes, knowing Sungmin is looking at him with surprise as well. “Your entire town is going to be in danger if something isn’t done very soon. There are those from my world who wish to collect the lu--, your stars and destroy the rest. You have to trust us on this, we aren’t lying to you.”

"That's impossible," Sungjin scoffs, seething in distrust. "The stars can't be _harvested_ like crops from the field! What kind of fool do you play me for? You may have my brother under your little spell but I'll be damned before--"

"That's _enough_ , Sungjin," Sungmin grinds out. Sungjin's breath leaves him -- he'd never heard his brother speak to him in that kind of voice, and his eyes go impossibly wide. "I'm telling you, Henry is not a demon. Henry is on your side. If you can't trust him, trust _me_ when I tell you, there's something on it's way that could mean the death of everyone we know, the destruction of everything we hold dear."

“But, that’s impossible,” Sungjin whispers, pinching his leg to make sure his mind isn’t conjuring all of this up in a dream, Sungmin’s eyes on him still dead serious when he looks up. “How would they ever be able to simply take them? And where is this new world of yours, this is the only one that Luzo has ever spoken of!”

“If you’d been able to see what I have in the past months, then you wouldn’t believe this is so impossible, little brother,” Sungmin sighs, closing his eyes for a moment to collect himself and smiling slightly at Henry to calm to worry in his eyes. “You simply have to trust us on this one, there is a world above us, much bigger than ours and fully equipped to destroy everything and everyone here.”

“I trust you, you know I do,” Sungjin sighs, putting his face in his hands as his mind whirls with what Sungmin is telling him, trying to piece together what could be the truth. “But I don’t trust _him_. How do I know he’s not just got you under some type of spell to lure us all to our deaths?”

"Because I'm here trying to _prevent that_!" Henry finally snaps, knowing they don't have the time to waste sitting here arguing with some closed-minded brat, regardless if he's Sungmin's brother or not. If they want to stop the miners they have to get as many people on their side as possible and Sungjin has to help them achieve that. "You wanna know the truth, I have no one. I've lost my siblings, lost my parents, lost my home, and lost my freedom. I have nothing left to lose. Would I even _be_ here if I weren't trying to help you protect at least that much?"

Henry wisely keeps his mouth shut about at least having Sungmin, and the look in the elder's eyes shows that he knows what Henry is doing. Sungjin just gapes at Henry, not at all expecting that sort of response, trying hard to discern any lies out of Henry's intense gaze. "Why?" he whispers, guilt edging in as he slowly starts to realize _maybe they aren't lying, maybe they aren't crazy_. 

"Because I don't want to see more people die," Henry replies softly, fingers clenching the fabric of his trousers under the table. "Not on account of greed."

“I suppose that’s admirable,” Sungjin says slowly, starting to have a bit more faith in their claims, knowing that no one would argue so hard for something that at least they didn’t believe as the truth. Henry seems to sink in relief at Sungjin not being so hostile towards him for once, and Sungmin looks at his brother imploringly. “But what do the two of you expect me to be able to do about it anyway?”

“I had been hoping to find father, you know the townspeople will listen to him,” Sungmin sighs, though internally grateful that he was able to put off confronting his father a bit longer, still nervous as to the man’s reaction. “They’re likely to mob Henry if we try to tell them, we have to convince him first. Though, since you know now it may be a bit simpler, we just need everyone to at least know of what is going to happen.”

“And since you’re in on it now,” He continues, looking at Sungjin fiercely, almost daring him to disagree with him. “I want you to make sure that nothing happens to Henry if I get dragged off, Sungjin. You know what they’ll do to him, and I’d rather die than let that happen.”

Sungjin looks between Sungmin and Henry, wondering what it is about the stranger from the sky that makes Sungmin so fiercely protective of him. "I'll do my best, Min," he sighs, "but I can't guarantee anything. You know how Father is."

Sungmin nods grimly. "That's all I can ask of you, then. We should probably fetch Jongjin too, he needs to know that Jongwoon is alive. I can't believe you actually thought we were dead..."

"What were we supposed to believe?" Sungjin murmurs. "You disappeared in the middle of the night, and the dem-- the prisoners were gone from their cells, and we didn't hear anything from either of you until now." Sungjin shudders at the memory of the days following their disappearance. "Sungmin, you're going to have to be careful. Father will be hard to convince. He..." he swallows thickly. "He and the other Elders have been pretending you and Jongwoon didn't even exist. We weren't even allowed to give you a proper funeral on their orders."

“Just like with mom, why should the son be treated any differently than the mother?” Sungmin’s hands shake as the words leave his lips, knowing he shouldn’t have expected anything different, but it still hits him right in his chest, eyes narrowing. Henry’s eyes go soft in concern, the only thing keeping him from moving closer to the older man’s side being Sungjin’s eyes on the both of them, features almost looking pained. “I suppose it will be a right surprise to find out his eldest son even exists then, shouldn’t it?”

“Sungmin,” Henry murmurs, sighing when Sungmin looks at him fiercely, determination still present in his eyes, overshadowing the anger that lies in their depths. Sungjin blinks at the entire conversation that seems to pass between Henry and Sungmin without words, and he start to wonder if it really was only a few months that Sungmin has been gone, almost feeling years apart from his own brother. “We’ll convince him, don’t worry. You’re still his son, he has to at least listen to what you have to say.”

"He has to," Sungmin repeats firmly. "Too much is riding on him listening to me." He turns to Sungjin and swallows thickly. "So where is Father? Has he already left after the midday meal?"

"He never came," Sungjin replies, tone a bit bitter. "He hardly does, anymore. Even when you were out fishing the whole day because that's when the best time to catch the fish, he would stop in and see if you'd come for the meal. But now the only time he ever comes home is to try and drag me to the Elders' chambers for training."

It hits Sungmin like an angry bull, the weight of his decision to free Henry and Ryeowook all those months ago. He knew of the consequences for himself, but he hadn't really been aware of the consequences he'd left Sungjin to fend off. "I'm sorry, Jin," he says, burying his face in his hands for a moment before moving to rub his temples. "I'm sorry for doing this to you."

“It’s okay,” Sungjin sighs after a few moments, knowing he doesn’t have the heart to yell at his brother, he probably thought he was doing the right thing at the time and didn’t know he’d end up putting Sungjin in this position. Sungmin simply looks tired, he notes, and he only shakes his head. “You wouldn’t have known he’d do this, his actions are always a mystery.”

“And yet they always end up hurting us more than anything,” Sungmin growls, hating the way their father ends up putting the both of them in these positions that they don’t want to be in. He’s so blinded by anger that he doesn’t even register Henry’s hand curling around his under the table, clearing some of the haze in his mind, sending the younger a grateful look and ignoring Sungjin’s raised eyebrow. “He never takes in to consideration anyone else’s opinion, just does whatever he thinks is _best for the community_.”

"But sometimes it really is," Sungjin whispers. "I mean, the heavenly light has started dimming some. Surely he must have done something right, Luzo's finally beginning to forgive us for the sins that have been committed." Henry bites his tongue, holding back his response that _it's called the sun, and it's nature taking it's course by filling up that hole_ , not wanting to get on the kid's bad side again. They need every ally they can get.

"I just hope he believes me when I tell him this is a threat to everyone," Sungmin finishes with a dark scowl on his face. "Those people are dangerous. We _have_ to stop them, no matter what it takes." Henry nods fervently in agreement.

"The tools they have, they're not like anything you've seen before, probably," Henry adds. "They're being sent here to mine your stars, which are easier for them to reach since your stars are part of the ground beneath your feet in our world. They don't know people live here, and they'll be careless because all they care about, is they money they're going to make."

“There’s likely to be a cave in,” Henry continues, Sungjin’s eyes like saucers as he stares at him, Henry finally meeting his eyes as he talks. “Something like what happened to your sky when Ryeowook and I fell here, only on a much larger scale. And no one will survive if that happens, if everyone just sits around and waits for your God to do something about it then everyone will be killed.”

Sungmin winces at Henry’s choice of wording and glances warningly at Sungjin, his brother’s eyes incredulous at the unintentional insult to their faith.

“ _Our_ God,” Sungjin snorts, and Henry realizes too late that he slipped a bit, probably inadvertently insulting the boy again. He groans as Sungjin looks ready to launch into a tirade, and Henry is already all to familiar with the kind of rants that come along with even mentioning Luzo. “What kind of God do you have then? If anyone will save us from this mess it will be Luzo. Honestly, Sungmin, I can’t fathom why you carry this one around with you, he’s clearly missing something in him.”

"As hard as it is to believe, Sungjin, people have different faiths," Sungmin starts, knowing that Sungjin is going to ream him for talking like that, _Sungmin that's blasphemy how can you talk like that--_ , but he cuts him off. "But that's not the point of what Henry was trying to say. He's right that if you expect Luzo to stop them we'll all die. We have to protect ourselves, no god will help us against the will of man."

Sungjin lets his mouth hang open incredulously, wondering how much has happened to his brother to change the once devout boy. Sungmin catches this disbelief and sighs again. "Look I don't care what you think I may have become, but you have to understand the importance of this. We could argue back and forth all day but we don't have that kind of time."

After a bit of silence, Sungjin sighs. "What do you need me to do?" 

“I just need you to believe us,” Sungmin says, relieved that his brother is actually willing to do this for them, sending up a prayer that this won’t work against him. He knows that everyone will be not nearly as willing to listen as Sungjin was, but thankful to at least have something like his brother’s support, if nothing else. “And help me convince father, you know he’ll just say that demons have poisoned my mind, or something of the like.”

“I’m really getting tired of being thought a demon,” Henry mutters under his breath, and it brings a small smile to Sungmin’s face, cracking the tension a bit and bringing a bit more ease to the room. “I look nearly like the rest of you people, just because my hair is different doesn’t mean I’m some new species.”

“Fine,” Sungjin sighs, ignoring Henry and simply nodding along to his brother’s request, another sigh escaping his lips. “I’ll do whatever you want me to for this, Sungmin. Just let me know if I’m needed for anything else, I want to be able to help you if it’s for the good of everyone else.”

"Thank you," Sungmin replies, thankful to his little brother. Henry sags a little in relief that they have Sungjin on their side at last, a wave of exhaustion hitting him. Sungmin notices and frowns worriedly. "Did Father mess with my room at all?" Sungjin shakes his head. 

"No, he hasn't even gone near it since you left," the younger boy replies, and Sungmin hums in reply. He stands up, tugging Henry along with him, earning confused looks from both his brother and Henry himself.

"You need to rest," Sungmin explains. "You nearly died, and then insisting on coming here all the way with me. You can rest in my bed while we wait for Father to come home for the night." Henry opens his mouth to argue about time running out, but Sungmin cuts him off. "We can't do anything until he gets here, Henry. And Sungjin, have you eaten?" His brother shakes his head, looking mournfully to the broken plate on the floor and Sungmin nods resolutely. "Then I'll make us all something to eat." He pauses, realizing that he's been gone for months and has just waltzed back in acting like nothing's changed, and he falters. "If... if it's alright with you, of course," he murmurs to Sungjin.

"Sungmin, of course it's alright," Sungjin replies, catching on to Sungmin's hesitation. "I don't care what Father may think, this is still your home. You'll always be welcome here." 

Sungmin smiles, a genuine smile that reminds Sungjin so much of how his older brother used to be, at Sungjin’s words, and doesn’t reply beyond an enthusiastic nod, tugging Henry down the hall to his room. Sungjin simply shakes his head, shaky smile pulling at his lips as he cleans up the bits of broken plate on the ground, sense of normalcy slowly returning. 

“Well, that went about as well as expected,” Sungmin murmurs, sitting down next to Henry on the bed for a moment, having to all but push him down to get him to actually stay. “At least we have one more in our corner, that will be helpful for tonight.”

“One more in _your_ corner, you mean,” Henry snorts, reluctantly lying back as Sungmin’s hands push against his chest, not wanting to have to leave Sungmin alone out there though he’s sure the brothers need their time alone. It just makes him wary of not being there when they talk to the Elder, sure that Sungmin will need all the help he can get. “I don’t think he’d get within ten feet of me if you weren’t here, Min. Your family doesn’t seem to like me very much, I think you’re the odd one out.”

"As if that wasn't obvious," Sungmin replies with a chuckle, pulling the covers back and tucking Henry into the bed. "Get some rest, okay, Henry? I worry about you, you know. And you'll need your strength for... whatever happens tonight." Sungmin's eyes take a very far-away look, and he sighs. "I'll save you some food for when you wake. But don't come out if you hear my father."

Henry nods and when Sungmin stands to leave, he catches the older man by the wrist. "Sungmin," he whispers. "Remember your promise, yeah?" Sungmin smiles, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes as he nods. Henry knows full well that Sungmin is only trying to comfort him, so he utters something in his native tongue, and Sungmin raises an eyebrow at him. "I'll only tell you what it means if you come back alive," Henry says childishly. Sungmin shakes his head and chuckles again, patting his head. 

"I'll set you out a pair of my old clothes, okay? You could use a clean set, not to mention it'll help you blend in better." He moves over to the wardrobe and pulling out a set of clean clothes he thinks should fit Henry. He pauses for a moment, then pulls out a second set for himself, thinking that he'll probably be better off if as little about him is different as possible when he has to speak with his father.

“Alright,” Henry murmurs, yawning slightly as exhaustion hits him like a brick, eyes drooping as he sinks into the softness of Sungmin’s bed, gaze still holding to the older man. “Be careful though, Sungmin, remember that this is not just your cross to bear.”

Sungmin smiles softly as Henry slips unconscious again, toll of the day finally hitting him and pulling him into a light slumber. He sets the clothes out at the foot of his bed so Henry will be able to find them easily when he wakes up, but finds himself slightly hoping that Henry will still be sleeping when his father arrives, not wanting to have to put the younger man through the agony of what that conversation is sure to be.

Sungjin is waiting for him when he walks back out, kitchen now clean of any mess and leaning against the counter, expression neutral when his brother joins him.

“You certainly have some explaining to do,” He sighs, watching Sungmin fit back into the kitchen almost as if he never left, sight of his older brother cooking for him achingly familiar. “What is all this you’ve been speaking of about another world? And just who is that Henry to you anyway? I’ve never seen you act like that around anyone, Sungmin.”

"It's amazing, Sungjin," Sungmin starts, purposely ignoring the question about Henry in hopes that his tales of the world above them will distract him. "It's so big, there are so many more people than what we ever thought possible, and some even speak differently, they're called languages. And that heavenly light you saw before, it's called the sun, and it happens every day -- that's what they call the waking hour -- and then during the sleeping hour, they call it night, there's another kind of light called the moon and their _stars_ are beautiful, Jinnie, and--"

"Take a breath," Sungjin chuckles nervously, eyes wide at all of the things that Sungmin rambles on about. The way he describes them, Sungjin finds it hard to believe that his brother is spinning tales or imagining things. Even if it is the more convenient explanation for things. "Sungmin, I hope you realize how insane you sound right now."

"But I'm not," Sungmin says exasperatedly. He had hoped he'd already convinced his brother of at least this much, but he supposes he'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would believe him so quickly, after years of their world being their established truth. "If only you could see it, if everyone could see it, you'd all believe me. And there are so many more things that happen, it's almost surreal..."

“So it would seem from what you say,” Sungjin shakes his head, sitting down at the table and watching his brother cook them eggs, throwing out bits and pieces of this new world now and then, eyes sparkling as he talks. He hasn’t quite cleared him of being crazy, but he supposes there’s no other way Sungmin would still be alive if there wasn’t _somewhere_ else out there. He doesn’t miss the way Sungmin avoids his earlier question, and it only fuels his curiosity further. “Keep going, I won’t interrupt this time.”

Sungmin smiles slightly and throws out whatever comes to mind as he cooks, Sungjin’s brows knit as he tries to envision everything his brother tells him, things like _and there’s the ocean, like our Sacred River but so much bigger, with huge boats and you wouldn’t believe the fish!_. The earnest look on Sungmin’s face as he speaks almost makes Sungjin simply want to believe him and all his fantastical tales, time passing by as Sungmin talks and he listens.

Sungmin continues to tell Sungjin all of the things things he's seen, even in between mouthfuls of food, speaking with as much conviction as possible to solidify his brother's belief. In fact he's so enthralled in his story-telling that he almost doesn't hear the front door open. Almost.

Sungjin looks worriedly at Sungmin as the elder suddenly cuts off, but when he hears his father call out from the entryway, he understands Sungmin's reaction. They both stare at each other, eyes wide in anxiety and nervousness as their father's footsteps echo ever closer. But then Sungmin puts on the most determined face he can manage, standing up and squaring his shoulders as though he's bracing himself for the encounter.

"Sungjin, I know you're reluctant to take on such an important responsibility, but it is your duty--" the Elder is saying as he enters the kitchen, but stops dead in the doorway at the sight of his eldest son. Sungmin has to admit, it gives him a sick sort of pleasure to see the shock that crosses the man's face, even if it is for only a moment before the Elder reels his emotions in.

"Hello, Father."

....

Ryeowook wakes well rested and held tight in Jongwoon’s embrace, and for a moment it almost feels like they’re back in the house by the beach, Jongwoon clinging tightly to him and whining for him not to make breakfast yet, to stay in bed with him.

The thought brings a smile to his face, but he sighs at knowing their predicament is much more urgent than breakfast, and it should be only a few hours once they get moving until they’re back in Jongwoon and Sungmin’s old home. He bites his lip and hopes that they’re both still okay, knowing that they aren’t too far behind them, and pushes the darker thoughts to the back of his mind as he shakes Jongwoon’s shoulder gently, trying to coax him awake so they can get on the move.

They had left the inn far behind the day before, camping out in the woods again despite the snow. They're cold and the leftovers that the innkeeper had sent them with are probably frozen solid but they need to keep going. Jongwoon groans and shivers, trying to pull Ryeowook closer to share his warmth, but Ryeowook just shoves his shoulder a little harder. 

"Come on, Jongwoon, we need to go," Ryeowook urges, brushing the snow off of Jongwoon's backside as the elder reluctantly pushes up into a sitting position. "There's no telling how much farther the miners are behind us, we need to get to your village first."

“I know,” Jongwoon mumbles, voice cracked with sleep as Ryeowook fingers comb through his hair to pick out any branches, trying not to let the gentle touches lull him back to sleep. Ryeowook gathers their packs and pulls his cloak tighter as Jongwoon orients himself back with the waking world, sun just beginning to peak up. “Hopefully Henry and Sungmin aren’t too far ahead of us, I’d rather not be walking into a war zone.”

“I’d rather hope not too,” The pit of worry in Ryeowook’s stomach flares up again at Jongwoon’s words, hauling the other man up once they’ve got all their bearings together, leaning heavily into Jongwoon’s side for a moment. “And we’ll have to go through that river to get down there too, which if I recall, you still can’t swim.”

Jongwoon cringes at the thought, having completely forgotten about having to go through the river. He'd blocked that particular memory from his mind in hopes he'd never have to think about it again, but it seems like fate has a much different plan for him. "I'll just have to hold on tight then won't I? At least we aren't fighting the current this time."

"This time," Ryeowook repeats emphatically. "But how do you expect us to get back?" Jongwoon is quiet for a long time, and Ryeowook furrows his eyebrows and nudges Jongwoon with his elbow. "Hey, stop thinking like that. We're _going_ to make it back."

“Yeah, we are,” Jongwoon sighs, smiling slightly at Ryeowook though it doesn’t quite meet his eyes, wanting to believe that there will be a return journey but trying not to put too much hope on it, knowing it will all fall to what they find when they get down there. “It’s just hard to imagine what we’ll even find, you’ve seen how willing my people are to listen to things that are outside their scope of what they know.”

“Yes, I do believe I remember sitting in that geyser and waiting to die,” Ryeowook states with a grimace, and for a fleeting moment hopes that by some miracle everything will be smoothed over already by the time they manage to get down to the village. Though he doubts that Henry and Sungmin possess such diplomatic skills, it is a nice picture to paint in his mind. “But that won’t happen this time, we’re going to warn them and they are going to listen, none of them deserve to die like that.”

Jongwoon sighs as they 'tear down' their camp (all they really do is scoot snow over the remains of the fire so it looks like there wasn't one), thinking about his brother and his parents. He wonders how they're doing, knowing full well that Jongjin will have taken his disappearance worse than his parents, and a pang of guilt settles in the pit of his stomach knowing that he's probably going to throw a wrench into any healing process they may have started by coming back now.

"Let's go, yeah?" Ryeowook says softly, seeing the look on Jongwoon's face and knowing he must be thinking of a worst-case scenario. He presses a soft kiss to Jongwoon's cheek and squeezes his hand reassuringly. "We can do this. I didn't believe it before but I do now, wholeheartedly. We _can_ do this."

Jongwoon nods and squeezes back tightly, opening his eyes with renewed determination in them, focusing only on the thought of being able to save his family. He only hopes they’ll be able to forgive him too, for waltzing in and out of their lives as he so pleases, though he knows that may be a bit much to ask for.

“As long as I have you with me,” He says quietly, smiling softly at Ryeowook and pulling him along, hoping to make quick progress on the last leg of their journey, knowing that the entrance to the river can’t be far now. He’s dreading even going back down that way, but knows that if Henry managed to make his way down again then there’s no way that he can’t. “As long as you’re with me, Ryeowook.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misunderstandings from years past are finally cleared up; a confrontation is averted.

Jinseon is awakened blearily at the most ungodly hour of the morning, to a frantic rapping on the door. Blinking through the sleepy haze, she briefly runs through the list of people that must be and thinks it's probably her father. Her expression darkens at the thought, and she groans before pushing back the blankets and grabbing a shawl.

"Father, I told you, I'm not going to listen to your orders anymore," she calls softly through the door, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself. "So please, just leave me--"

"Jinseon," a voice hisses sharply, interrupting her prepared speech. Jinseon's eyes open as she recognizes that voice. "Jinseon, get dressed. Siwon's waiting outside town, I managed to sneak in here looking like one of the slaves."

“Donghee?” She whispers back quickly, almost sure that she can recognize the voice of Siwon’s assistant, grabbing some clothes from where they lay haphazardly about the room and slipping out of her nightclothes. “You got my letter then? Has Siwon been able to do anything about this, what’s been --”

“Now is not the time,” Donghee mumbles, grabbing Jinseon’s arm as soon as she opens the door and begins hurrying her down the hall, watchful for any slaves or Jinseon’s father along the way. “We’ll be able to answer everything once we get outside, we tried to get here as fast as we could once your letter got to the palace.”

Jinseon nods quickly but otherwise stays silent, pitter patter of their feet the only sound in the still dark of the morning, rushing through the halls and praying that they don’t get caught, feeling a glimmer of hope at the thought of Siwon finally arriving.

They make it out of the manor with little trouble, ducking behind tapestries when they hear slaves passing by. Jinseon shivers when they finally slip out the side door, not realizing how cold it was out, and Donghee slips his cloak from around his neck and drapes it over her shoulders. He has a horse tethered to a fencepost on the outermost edge of the property, and Donghee helps her up before mounting the horse himself, setting off on a fast gallop.

Jinseon's mind is racing as they set off through town, the drapes on almost all the windows pulled shut tight. They pass the inn, its door always open, and the tavern, the raucous laughter of the shadier men in town ringing in her ears, and her grip on the saddle horn tightens that much more.

"You said he's on the edge of town, Donghee," Jinseon says, raising her voice a little over the sound of hooves on cobblestone. "You didn't mean that he's _camping_ there, did you?"

“Well, we certainly couldn’t waltz in the inn and ask for a room,” Donghee laughs slightly, cracking the reins to gain a bit more speed, wanting to get back to their site as quickly as possible, hoping no guard catch on to Jinseon’s absence until morning light begins to shine at least. “We’re camped right on the forest’s edge, we should be there within the next few minutes, you can see the fire.”

Jinseon squints and can see a faint light within the darkness of the trees, fingers digging into the leather of the saddle in anticipation and hardly able to believe that something is finally going her way, after so many months of everything simply falling apart. Donghee rides as quickly as the horse will go, and they skid to a stop when they reach Siwon’s troop.

“He’s in that tent over there,” The captain nearest to them says quickly, recognizing Jinseon as she hops off the horse in a decidedly unladylike manner, looking around quickly for Siwon. “It’s good to see you again, My Lady.”

"Minho, how many times have I told you, just Jinseon will do," Jinseon murmurs quietly, smiling and pressing a brief kiss to the young man's cheek. "You certainly are his brother, all manners and the like." Minho smiles sheepishly and bows.

"We'll go on patrol," Minho replies, motioning for the other four in their troop to gather round. "It couldn't hurt to be on the safe side, yeah?" The one with the sharp eyes just shakes his head, and the dark one rolls his eyes as he grabs his sword and slings the strap over his shoulder. The softer-looking one smiles knowingly, while the youngest one grabs his daggers in confusion as he is dragged off by the elbow.

"I don't understand, we just _went_ on patrol!" he whines, but Minho pushes him between the shoulder blades and just mutters _hush Taemin, we're going on another one_ , tossing one last grin over his shoulder as the five of them disappear beyond the trees. Donghee shrugs and mutters that he might as well join them, as Jinseon all but runs to the furthest tent.

Her heart thumps in anticipation as she peeks in the door of the tent, small smile crossing her face that Siwon hasn’t even noticed any of the excitement outside the tent, eyes serious and poring over a map in front of him. It doesn’t surprise her, but it warms her that he hasn’t seemed to have changed at all.

“Siwon?” She says softly, stepping inside the tent and watching as he whips around at the sound of her voice, looking relieved immediately and seeming to stop himself from running up and pulling her into his arms. Jinseon smiles sheepishly, and is simply happy to be able to see the face of her beloved again. “You got my letter? Things have been going so badly here, you have no idea what alls been happening, so much since I left.”

“I know,” Siwon sighs, beckoning her closer and resting his head on his arm, looking very tired in Jinseon eyes. “I did get your letter, we came as soon as we could manage, Minho was ready to come wring that Lord and your father’s neck for even making you go through with all of this in the first place.”

Jinseon smiles at the thought, but Minho always was protective of her. _You're the sister I never had_ , he told her once in private, when Siwon was off doing his knightly things. She reaches up on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to Siwon's lips, and at first he responds, having missed her so much since this whole debacle began. But then he pulls away, a muddled look of disappointment and hurt in his eyes. "Jinseon, we can't do this, you're married now..."

"That marriage," Jinseon starts sharply, "is about as legitimate as the rumors of the hidden colony founded by exiles." Siwon mulls it over for a moment, still hesitant, but she pulls him into another kiss that clearly puts a halt to his thought process. "The only kiss I've shared with Ryeowook was the one at the altar, which was for show," she whispers reassuringly.

"But how do you know for sure?" Siwon whispers, ever conscious of how it feels to have your heart broken. If this Ryeowook were actually in love with Jinseon and was conscious of the fact that she does not and never will love him back... he just doesn't want to be the cause of someone's pain.

"Because he has his own love," Jinseon smiles against his lips, feeling the tension dissipate from Siwon's embrace. "A love that he's fighting for, just like I'm fighting for you."

“We were both too complacent with what they wanted us to do,” Jinseon sighs, pulling away and burying her face in Siwon’s shoulder, relishing in being able to feel his warmth against her after so long, since her father made them part. “But now we’ve decided to fight back, take back our own futures. And that man, Ryeowook’s uncle, is absolutely despicable, he can’t just be allowed to continue as he is, it cannot happen, Siwon.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Siwon says softly, tightening his arms around Jinseon and smiling at her sigh of content, not sure how he was able to let her go in the first place. “Those kinds of crimes cannot stand under palace law, we’ll be able to bring him to justice, I’m sure of it.”

“And annul that marriage,” He says as an afterthought, frown tugging at his lips as he thinks about his love with another man, comforted only by Jinseon’s words in it being a strictly business agreement. “It should be no problem, assuming that everything you say of his feelings on the matter is true as well.”

"Trust me, if you had seen the look on his face when his uncle told him he was to be wed to me, you would have no doubt that getting the marriage annulled will meet no contest from him." Jinseon looks up and brushes a wayward strand of Siwon's bangs from his face, the rest of it tied back in a small ponytail at the back of his head. "I'm so glad to see you."

“I’m glad to see you too,” Siwon murmurs, catching her hand as it falls from his hair and pressing it to his lips, kissing it lightly before interlacing their fingers and smiling gently at her. “Hopefully we won’t have to have any more of these wild goose chases to be together again, this time I plan to keep you by my side no matter what.”

"Mmm," she agrees, smiling and leaning back down to rest her head on his shoulder again. "We'll need a plan of attack. Yes, we," she interrupts him, feeling his mouth drop open in a sure protest. "There's no way that you're going to be able to get into that manor without someone on the inside. I hardly think six, seven people will be able to storm the front gate, no matter how strong you are."

“Fine,” He sighs reluctantly after a few moments, knowing that she’s right and that once Jinseon has set her mind to something, she’s not likely to change it. It’s slightly infuriating, but he supposes it’s just one of the things he loves about her. “Just promise you’ll be careful, and I won’t leave you there for long, just give the word and we’ll be there to ‘storm down the front door’.”

“It’s a deal,” She says softly, leaning up to press her lips against his in a much needed kiss, arms wrapping around Siwon’s neck as she soaks up his presence, finally able to relax slightly after so long. She feels their plan coming together, and thinks that things might just be looking up for the two of them, for all of them.

_We can do this._

...

There's a long moment of silence, a tense wordless standoff between Sungmin and his father while Sungjin's eyes dart between them helplessly, slowly joining both men on their feet in case he should need to break up a fight. The Elder's jaw works as he searches for words, and Sungmin realizes he's expecting an explanation.

"I'm just going to cut right to the point, Father," Sungmin finally says, voice quiet but determined. "The whole town is in grave, grave danger. I've come back to warn you, so that you can prepare."

“What are you on about, demon,” The Elder growls, eyes fiery as he glares at Sungmin, words seeming to rebound him almost as quick as the young man speaks them. “How dare you take the form of my dead son to try and seduce me to your ways, Luzo help all your kind that you should prey upon the grieving like this.”

“Son? So you recall having two of those now?” Sungmin says, quiet anger filling his voice as he knew his father would react like this, but had still been hoping for something different. His father looks at him in surprise and Sungmin simply scoffs, Sungjin looking on nervously. “Don’t think I’m an idiot, Sungjin told me how I’ve ceased to exist around here.”

The Elder throws a traitorous glare in Sungjin's direction but Sungmin quickly stops him. "Don't you dare take it out on him, either. At least he sees to reason when it's the welfare of everyone at stake."

"The only danger I foresee threatening us," the Elder snaps, eyes boring holes into Sungmin as though his stare alone would exorcise the demon from his kitchen, "is the one standing in front of me." He moves to grab Sungjin by the arm, and drag him away from Sungmin, and Sungmin sighs, expecting his younger brother to side with his father. He's incredibly shocked, then, when Sungjin rips his arm from their father's grip, defiantly standing his ground.

"Father, I beg you... just hear him out," he whispers, pleading in his eyes mixed with a sharp conviction. "He... he says there are more of _them_ coming. He wants to stop them, so please..." His knuckles turn white from where the grip the kitchen table, whole frame shaking in nervousness from standing up to his father for the first time.

“You’ve even turned my remaining son against me,” His father breathes, seething with anger and making to move for Sungjin again, but Sungmin steps in front of his brother, glaring as if only daring the Elder to take another step further. “What kind of foul spell have you cast, demon?”

“I am no demon,” Sungmin spits out, trying his best to reason with his father and make him believe, but having nearly forgotten how frustrating it is to talk to the stubborn man once he has his convictions. “I’m your _son_ and I’m not dead, but we all will be soon if you don’t stop being blinded and listen to me!”

“It’s true, father,” Sungjin shakily speaks up again, interrupting his father before he can refute as he knows Sungmin and the Elder can argue for hours, and from the way Henry and Sungmin were talking, that’s time they can’t afford to waste. “Sungmin says that their are people from above that wish to take our stars. His friend vouched for him too, Sungmin isn’t just crazy in believing this, and I believe it to be the truth as well.”

"Friend?" the Elder scoffs, and Sungjin's eyes widen as he realizes he's said too much. Sungmin swallows thickly, eyeing his father warily as the fury flashes through his eyes. "And where is this 'friend' of his?" Sungjin says nothing but his eyes flicker to the hallway leading to Sungmin's bedroom out of panic, and Sungmin suddenly feels the air crackle with a burst of energy.

"No!" he screams, but the Elder has already gotten the hint and is storming down the hallway. Sungmin pushes Sungjin out of the way in his haste to get to his room before his father does, but it's too late -- the door slams open and the Elder is pulling Henry out of the bed by his hair in the blink of an eye.

Henry is terrified when he sees the Elder slam the door open and march over to where he sits on Sungmin’s bed, the feeling of hands grabbing fistfuls of his hair so much like when he was a slave and being dragged to and fro. He had heard the arguments outside and had been caught between staying like Sungmin had said or going to try to help when the elder barged in, and then his mind goes blank.

All Sungmin has to see is the blatantly terrified look in Henry’s eyes, far away look just like when he was stuck in that nightmare world of his, before he yanks the Elder’s arms from Henry, the younger collapsing in a ball on the floor, Sungmin’s father still sneering at him as Sungjin looks on in horror.

"Don't touch him!" Sungmin yells finally, temper snapped beyond control the minute the Elder laid his hands on Henry. Henry just whimpers on the floor behind Sungmin's legs, clutching his head with both hands and shaking like a leaf. "You have no idea what he's been through, don't you dare touch him," he growls in a much quieter voice, reigning in his self control.

"As if I care about the history of demons," his father scoffs, making to reach around Sungmin to grab at Henry again. Sungmin raises his fist as if to strike, and his father makes a face as though he's daring Sungmin to try it. Sungjin stands in the doorway, completely torn between whose side he should take. "Nor do I care for the fate of them. I'll kill him myself if I have to, seeing as the geysers did no good."

"What will it take to make you listen, Father?" Sungjin pleads quietly, trying to avoid any violence at all costs. To be completely honest he's terrified, not only of what his father will do, but of the consequences of inaction if Sungmin's words are true. "Please, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. What'll it hurt if we're cautious? Weren't you the one who told me that when you called off the search all that time ago?"

The Elder seethes quietly, no doubt planning his next words very carefully, when an idea strikes Sungmin. He starts to unbutton his shirt quickly, shrugging it off of his shoulders and turning around to bear his back to his father and brother. Sungjin hisses and his eyes go wide, his first time seeing the scars of the lashing.

“Do you remember these, father?” He says softly, anger still coloring his voice and itching to do something, anything, to comfort Henry, but he knows they’ll have to be alone first, and make his father believe them. He can’t see his father’s face from where he’s looking, but he does hear the intake of breath. “Do these look like something the spell of a demon could have created? _You_ gave them to me, and if you have any love for me left at all, I suggest you listen to what I have to say.”

“Unless you care so little as to send me away and continue pretending that I never existed,” The words are out before Sungmin can stop them, and he can swear he sees a twinge of remorse in his father’s eyes, Sungjin’s hands covering his so that he doesn’t have to look at the scars anymore. “Just like you did for mother?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” The Elder snaps, scowl pulling darkly at his lips, but looking a bit more willing to listen to Sungmin, seemingly a bit more convinced of him being real. He’s at least stopped gunning for Henry, and Sungmin is thankful for that. “Don’t speak as if you know everything, Sungmin, you’re still practically a child.”

"I'm more of a man than you can ever _hope_ to be," Sungmin retorts, pulling his shirt back over his shoulders and buttoning it back up with more force than strictly necessary. "My being here proves that. I could have turned my back when I found out what wicked plans are headed this way. I knew full well that this is how you would react and yet _here I am_. You, the first thing that even remotely surpasses your realm of comprehension you brand as evil and condemn it. I'll bet that's what happened to Mother. You were too _scared_ of what she would find in that scroll and so you punished her out of fear."

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Sungmin,” His father repeats, only quieter, suddenly looking more tired than he has in a long time, and Sungmin simply raises his guard higher, not quite trusting him still. “Your Mother was not a normal circumstance...there were other things that you do not know that led to her fate.”

“Why don’t you tell us then?” Sungmin growls, caught off guard by his father even mentioning their mother, the first time he’s heard it in over ten years. Sungjin looks just as surprised, frozen where he stands and looking for all like he wants to run from the room. “Why do you have to hide everything from us as you do? Sungjin and I deserve to know these things!”

"I _protected_ your mother from a much harsher fate," the Elder snaps back, fully confronting his memories for the first time in years. The words falling from his father's mouth shock Sungmin so much that he can't keep it from showing on his face, jaw dropping open in disbelief.

"You can't be serious," he breathes when, after a moment, he collects himself. "Do you play me for a fool? You _whipped_ her to the brink of death, just like you did me!" Sungmin is seething in fury, and Sungjin looks like he doesn't know what to believe, eyes wide and frightened. "Don't lie to my face! Damn it, I want the truth!"

"That _is_ the truth, Sungmin, and so help me Luzo, I swear it. Reading the Elders' Scrolls is punishable by death, and your mother would have been executed if I hadn't stepped in. I didn't tell  the other Elders _which_ scroll she had read, only that she was reading the scrolls from the restricted tomes, which lessened her punishment, and I was ordered by majority vote to carry out that punishment, since I was the one who caught her."

"But your mother wasn't in the Elders' Chamber when the verdict came down," the Elder continues, despite Sungmin opening his mouth to interject. "She believed that it was I who came up with her sentence, and so after the whipping she didn't trust me. Whatever it was that she read in the Scroll, it prompted her to take action. She left in the middle of the night, and though she didn't see me I followed her, all the way up to the border of the Forbidden Land."

Sungmin is breathing heavy, trying with all his strength to hold in his tears. Henry is still cowering behind him, though he seems to have calmed down some, enough to be paying attention. Sungjin looks like he'll faint on the spot at any second. Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, he whispers, "Why didn't you go after her? Why didn't you _bring her back_?"

"Going into the Forbidden Land meant certain death," the Elder replies simply, once again interrupting Sungmin to add, "something I was absolutely sure of until now. As soon as your mother crossed that boundary I knew she was as good as dead. What was I supposed to do? Follow her to the grave?"

"You should have stopped her from getting that far!" Sungjin whimpers, speaking for the first time since his father began his tale. "Or at least _tried_ to go after her and bring her back!"

"And leave my two sons parentless?" The Elder's words send a stake through Sungmin's heart, and his eyes widen. "I loved my wife, but at that moment I had a decision to make. Perhaps that decision was influenced by the betrayal I felt, but I chose my children over a gamble that may have costed me my life."

Sungmin feels the world spin around him for a moment and almost feels like passing out, so much new information at once almost completely overwhelming him. Sungjin looks much the same, eyes wide and mouth simply hanging open as their father sighs and puts a hand over his eyes. Sungmin would almost be sure that he was lying, ready to argue, but the look in the Elder’s eyes when he was talking tells Sungmin that his words are what he believes the truth to be.

“But why did you act like she never existed?” He finally says, breaking the tense silence softly and looking his father in the eye, taking a deep breath and trying to keep his emotions stable again. Henry’s hands finally fall away from his head to curl into Sungmin’s pant leg, and he takes another breath, knowing he’s not alone in this. “Surely you could at least have given us the truth, we deserved to know what happened to our own mother!”

“I’m sure you’ve heard how sometimes it’s easier to simply forget?” The Elder simply smiles ruefully and looks incredibly tired when he looks at his sons, even older than he already is. “Maybe I should have told you, but you were both so young, you would never have understood. And for me, it made the sting a bit less to let go of the memories, it lessened the pain.”

Sungmin swallows thickly, wanting nothing more than to curl into Henry right now, wanting to hang on to that hatred he held just a few moments ago. After the death of his mother, he disliked his father, and after he condemned two innocent men to death, he can honestly say he _hated_ his father. But to find out that it was all a big faux pas... To find out that all his life his father played the role of antagonist, to give him and Sungjin someone to blame for their mother's death so that they wouldn't hate her. So he will not, _cannot_ , really, fault his father for being human.

“Fine, I can accept that,” He finally says, tongue feeling thick in his mouth as he swallows heavily, trying to keep his hands from shaking. “But still, you aren’t protecting us any by hiding the truth from us, father. And if you don’t start _listening_ to what I have to say soon, then we are all going to be dead anyway, and you know the rest of the townspeople won’t just listen to me if I try to talk to them myself, especially with Henry with me.”

“And I won’t go without him, he’s as human as you and I, not a demon,” He cuts in quickly, sure of what his father is thinking when his eyes slide quickly to Henry, still on the floor and hiding behind Sungmin’s legs. “Listen to what the both of us have to say.”

“Please listen to them, father,” Sungjin pleads, looking for all the world like he’s still trying to wrap his mind around all of this, and Sungmin tries to shoot him an encouraging look. “I believe what Sungmin is saying to be true, and something needs to be done.”

“I will listen,” The Elder says slowly after a moments pause, looking at Sungmin long and hard for a moment. “I will not stand to lose my son for a second time, I will hear the both of you out and then we can decide where to go from there.”

“I’ll be in the kitchen,” He says quietly after Sungmin makes no move to speak, finally seeming to see the state of the boy hiding behind his son, sighing heavily before stepping down the hallway and into the other room. Sungjin seems to sense that Henry and his brother need a moment, and motions to Sungmin that that’s where he’ll be too, saying _I’ll tell him what I know, take as long as you need_.

As soon as the door closes behind them, Sungmin hesitates a split second only before spinning on his heel and lurching at Henry, pulling him close. "Oh my Luzo, Henry, I'm so sorry, I could have stopped that, he didn't hurt you too much did he? I swear I will never forgive him if--"

"Sungmin," Henry interrupts quietly. "I'm fine. I'll mourn the loss of those few hairs later," he tries to joke, but it comes out empty as the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. "We don't have any time to spare, Sungmin. Come on, let's go fill in the rest of what your brother can't tell." He makes to stand, but Sungmin grabs him by the wrist and tugs him back down, until they're eye-level and nose to nose. "Min..."

"Henry, I want you to know something," Sungmin whispers. He presses a soft kiss to Henry's lips, ignoring Henry's whispered panic, _Sungmin, we can't..._ and pulling him into his shoulder. "No matter what happens, those inner demons of yours are nothing but ghosts in your past. I will be here to chase them away, now and always, because I love you," Sungmin continues, speaking directly into Henry's ear so that he doesn't have to speak more than a breath for Henry to hear. Sungjin and his father _cannot_ hear this. But Henry has to know.

Henry feels Sungmin’s breath warm on his ear as the older man speaks, face pressed right into Sungmin’s shoulder as the words wash over him. His hands curl into Sungmin’s shirt as they sink in, and he can’t help the tears that start to leak from his eyes, what Sungmin says reaching right down into his core, making the emotion flood out of him, even though he knows now is probably the worst time. Sungmin simply hushes him gently, stroking his hair for a moment.

Sungmin feels Henry’s tears through his shirt and holds him tighter, cursing to himself that Henry had to go so long without hearing any kind of comforting words like that, not even wanting to imagine what it was like while the younger man was in slavery. He only hopes that one day they’ll have enough good memories to be able to overcome all of those terrors, wanting to be there for Henry in every way he can.

“You’re too good for me,” Henry finally says softly, indulging himself in being able to rest in Sungmin’s hold for just a minute, knowing how important time is but feeling more weary than anything, tilting his head to rest against Sungmin’s neck. “I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you with me, Sungmin.”

The images that slammed back into his consciousness the minute the Elder stormed into the room are slowly fading now, replaced by Sungmin's words, Sungmin's warmth. The memories of the pain and horrific things that happened slowly retreat to the recesses of his mind where he had them once locked safe away, memories with Sungmin (and of course, Ryeowook and Jongwoon too) taking their place at the forefront of his thoughts.

Sungmin shakes his head as Henry clings even tighter. "No one is too good for you, Henry, and certainly not me. You deserve happiness, and I won't let anyone threaten that." He continues to stroke Henry's hair, the muffled conversation between his brother and father drifting in through the crack underneath the door. He's vaguely aware of the relief for something that tells him that they aren't eavesdropping, that they really are getting a private moment.

Henry sniffles and pulls away, and Sungmin smiles gently as he wipes the tears away with the rough pads of his thumbs. His gaze is all love and admiration, a gaze that makes Henry heat up a little in the face. "C'mon, we really should get out there and figure out some sort of a plan," he mumbles, standing and helping Sungmin to his feet.

"Yeah," Sungmin concedes, squeezing Henry's hand reassuringly. His thoughts drift momentarily to Ryeowook and Jongwoon, and he hopes that they're both alright. A pang of guilt eats away at him, still regretting the last words he said to his oldest friend, but Henry's questioning _Min?_ drags him back to the present. "It's nothing," he assures, waving Henry off and pushing him through the doorway.

“If you say so,” Henry sighs, shaking his head, not wanting to push Sungmin on something he’s sure he’ll be able to get out of him eventually anyway, especially when they really need to talk to Sungmin’s father. He settles for instead reaching to give Sungmin’s hand one more squeeze, giving him a small smile. “Lets not keep your family waiting any longer, then?”

Sungmin nods, smiling and stepping in front of Henry to lead the way, ready to tell their side of the story.

...

The Elder, as expected, is very reluctant to accept their account at first, if less violently dismissing of it this time around. But just as Sungjin was earlier, their father is swayed by the passion with which Sungmin and occasionally Henry describe the world they lived in for all that time. Sungmin wisely leaves out the parts about the relationships that developed between them while living in the cottage together, but he _does_ have to rehash the whole account of being captured by Ryeowook's uncle, in order to explain the danger of the miners.

"I still find it very hard to believe that these miners have the tools to take our stars out of the sky," the Elder says slowly, gazing suspiciously at Henry every now and then. The young man seems to wilt under that gaze every time, but all it takes is a reassuring squeeze of the hand under the table where no one can see to calm him.

"Well believe it or not, we have to be prepared," Sungmin says resolutely. "They'll most likely be coming from the area of land about the Forbidden Land, that's where the cave in happened and they probably have surveyors noting where the ground is weakest. We need to have people ready."

The Elder sighs heavily, but nods, rubbing his temples. "Sungmin, you... probably won't believe me when I say this, but I... I trust you. Getting the townsfolk to trust you is another story altogether, I do hope you realize this."

“I know,” Sungmin sighs, slightly dreading having to try and convince the entire town. At least his family had love for him before, he’s not sure how respected he was even before he left, slightly looked down upon for being so reluctant in his duties as eldest son to follow his father’s footsteps. Henry gives him an encouraging look when he pauses, and Sungmin takes a deep breath to try and give his analysis of the possibilities. “But I think with at least your influence they’ll be willing to listen, and if not at least a few will be enough to start _some_ kind of defense --”

He’s interrupted when he hears the door slam open, and his eyebrows immediately shoot up into his hairline when he wonders who it could be, knowing it’s no guest of his father’s as the Elder looks just as surprised as the rest of them. He has to blink twice when he can hear snippets of voices in the hallway, not quite daring to believe that it is who he thinks is there.

"So much for subtlety. What if the Elder is here, are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?" the voice follows sloshing footsteps as they approach the kitchen, and two very wet, cold and generally miserable looking men step around the corner. They both stop dead upon seeing the Elder, but their jaws, too, drop when they see that he's sitting at the table with Sungmin and Henry isn't dead.

Sungjin's eyes widen even more than they had when Sungmin had first arrived. Of course, Sungmin had told him that Jongwoon was alive, but it still completely blindsided him. Hadn't Sungmin said that he and the other man had run from the Kim person? "Jongwoon?" And that other man's name... what was it again?

"Ryeowook," Henry breathes, leaping to his feet but stopping short of throwing himself at the redhead, mindful of whose presence he's in. "Jongwoon, what are you both doing here?" Sungmin is too stunned to see his best friend again -- so sure that after the harsh words he had spit out that that would be the last time he ever saw the man -- to say anything.

"Well, what do you think we're here for? We didn't nearly drown just for a cup of tea," Ryeowook says, trying and miserably failing at being lighthearted. He gets one look from the Elder and gulps, bowing deeply as a sign that he means no harm. Jongwoon eyes every person in the room, tension building rapidly and he chuckles nervously.

"The calvary has arrived," he says weakly.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The people must gather to fight off the predators; a family reunites.

“Jongwoon,” Sungmin breathes, frozen like a statue as Jongwoon gazes at him sheepishly, Ryeowook seeming to be caught between rushing at Henry and staring at the Elder nervously, looking painfully uncomfortable. He honestly wasn’t expecting that he’d be able to see Jongwoon again, especially after what he’d said to him the last time they’d spoken. He opens his mouth to apologize, but Jongwoon seems to guess what he wants to say by looking at him, and shakes his head shallowly, mouthing _later_. He instead settles for the more general question, the one running through all their minds. “How on Earth did the two of you get here? What about your marriage, Ryeowook?”

“I refuse to be married to someone I do not love, and Jinseon agrees,” Ryeowook says resolutely, wisely leaving out any of their own special relationships and sparing a glance towards Sungjin and the Elder. “We’re fixing this, and we couldn’t just let those miners come here and destroy your homes, we’re going to fight back against all of this now.”

One look at the Elder tells him that he's not exactly welcome here, or so he thinks, and so he turns to the oldest man in the room and bows deeply once again. "I owe you an apology, on behalf of your whole town. It is my uncle who is putting everyone in danger and... it wasn't in my power to stop him from getting this far. I had hoped to prevent this whole conflict but my uncle is a treacherous man. For all the heartache he's causing, I am truly sorry."

“You can’t be held responsible for the actions of those related to you, you have no need to apologize,” The Elder sighs after a time, waving off Ryeowook’s bow and ignoring the shocked looks covering the faces of those present in the room. “My son has already explained to me the bulk of the problems that seemed to have plagued you all, but I am willing to listen if you have anything to add.”

Ryeowook glances at Sungmin in surprise for a moment, clearly wondering how he could have convinced a man who’d been so out for their blood the last time they’d met to now listen calmly to what they have to say, but Sungmin simply shrugs, beckoning them over to the table and pulling Henry back down from where he’d still been standing, looking terribly embarrassed and shifting on his two feet, barely holding back from throwing himself at his friend.

"The only thing I have to add," Jongwoon starts quietly, drawing all eyes to him, "is that whatever time you thought you had, you don't. We nearly ran headfirst into the miners trying to find the river. They had set up camp for the night, so we have half a day, at best."

Sungmin's eyes widen, and the tension in the air thickens tenfold. Sungjin looks absolutely terrified, looking from face to face in hopes that someone is joking, but the reality sets in that this is no joke. "So they're really coming, then? They're going to steal our stars right out of the sky?"

"I'm afraid so," Ryeowook murmurs, careful not to correct the boy and call them _lueuror_ in front of the Elder. He really has no idea what it was that swayed his mind but Ryeowook isn't willing to risk what cooperation he has on a misunderstanding. "And what I fear are the tools they mean to use. They have gunpowder, a type of compound that when you set fire to it, it destroys everything in its path. It'll cause a cave in similar to the one when Henry and I first came here... only it'll be much more devastating."

Sungjin’s eyes are wide as saucers as Ryeowook speaks, seemingly unable to believe that anyone but a god should be capable of such destruction. The Elder simply raises an eyebrow, but Sungmin can see the fear in his eyes, thoughts rapidly streaming through his own mind as well as he curses that their window of time has shrunk so much. 

“Time is of the essence then,” Sungmin says clearly, breaking the silence and causing everyone to look at him, speaking with a confidence that he isn’t sure he really feels. “Father, do you think that you would be able to get everyone gathered in the square within the hour? If we can at least manage to get some to listen and believe us then maybe we can pull something off. If worse comes to worst then Jongwoon and Ryeowook and Henry and I can go and see what we can do, but we need them to at least know of the danger.”

“I will do my best,” The Elder sighs, hoping that his son is right and will be able to convince the townspeople the same way that he spoke to him, rising slowly and nodding to Sungjin to follow so he can help round up the villagers. “Meet us there in an hour, and make sure you know what it is that you want to say. I can convince them to listen to a point, but you know how some will respond.”

"All too well," Sungmin mutters, the memories of the last riot surfacing in his head, memories that he would much rather let go of. "But we don't have a choice. People need to prepare themselves, there are too many lives at stake. If you can get them to listen before we get there, tell the women and children to go to the farms and take shelter -- it's the furthest place from the Forbidden Land. The men will need to take up whatever arms they can, which shouldn't be too much of a problem if they believe us."

The Elder nods in agreement with Sungmin's plans, and rises to his feet. "Come, Sungjin, help me round up everyone. Sungmin, I trust you know what you're doing. And Jongwoon," he pauses, seeing Jongwoon tense at being called out, the younger man quickly going white as a sheet. The Elder moves to head out of the kitchen, patting Jongwoon on the shoulder as he passes. "It's good to see you alive and well."

Jongwoon simply blinks and watches as Sungjin shakes his head, small smile on his face as he follows his father out, mimicking the pat on Jongwoon’s shoulder. Jongwoon looks so confused that Sungmin can’t help a small chuckle himself, Jongwoon quickly gathering his bearings and glaring at him.

“Who is that man and what has happened to your father?” He asks Sungmin incredulously, not quite ready to believe that getting the Elder to believe them would be so easy. He remembers even trying to talk to the man in his younger days was nigh impossible, and it was almost a glimpse to the time before Sungmin’s mother disappeared. “You must know some kind of magic, Sungmin. He didn’t even say anything about Ryeowook being a ‘demon’!”

“I think he took enough of that out on me,” Henry snorts, looking much more at ease now that it’s just the four of them in the room, finally reaching over to pull Ryeowook into a tight hug before slumping against Sungmin, emotions of the day beginning to take their toll again. He sighs a bit at knowing that it isn’t nearly over either. “But how are you two? How did you even _get_ here? And you're sopping wet, Sungmin, do you have any clothes we can give them?”

“One question at a time,” Ryeowook waves tiredly, but there’s a sparkle in his eye again, and he hugs Henry back fiercely when the younger man reaches for him. Jongwoon shakes his head fondly as Sungmin runs to get them some fresh clothes, still glancing nervously at Jongwoon. “But I think we’re okay besides the obvious pneumonia waiting to happen, getting here the same way the two of you did I’d imagine. That river is even less pleasant the second time around, you know.”

"Yes, that's kind of obvious, but how did you get _here_ ," Henry repeats, using Ryeowook's shoulder as a pillow as Sungmin disappears from the room. "We had a hard enough time sneaking into town as it was! How did you two manage to get here without getting noticed?"

"You seem to forget, I used to live here as well," Jongwoon says dryly, though a note of amusement in his voice when Henry reddens. "Sungmin may know all the tricks of the trade around here but I was the one who taught it all to him, you know. Being the Timekeeper's son did have it's advantages, being able to explore before everyone is awake and all that." Sungmin clears his throat from the doorway, having proffered two sets of dry clothes for Jongwoon and Ryeowook, and a towel for each of them as well. 

Sungmin doesn't meet his oldest friend's eyes when he hands over the clothes, finding a spot on the floor incredibly fascinating. He feels incredibly guilty, that after all he said to the man Jongwoon still showed up here. "Jongwoon, I'm so sor--"

"Don't apologize," Jongwoon interrupts, cutting Sungmin off before he can even begin. "You were absolutely right. I was a coward and you were only trying to get me to do the right thing. I don't blame you for that."

“You aren’t a coward though,” Sungmin argues softly, shaking his head before Jongwoon can say anything to try and convince Sungmin that he was right in saying what he did, because he knows he wasn’t. “I was completely out of line to say what I did, and I truly apologize for that. You really are one of the bravest men I know, and you would have been more than fine without me reaming you like that when you least needed it.”

“Apology accepted,” Jongwoon sighs when he realizes Sungmin will argue this with him until the cows come home if Jongwoon doesn’t agree with him, and he’s sure they don’t have that kind of time. It’s something so familiar about his friend though, he can’t even bring himself to be angry. “What’s a few words and punches between friends every now and then?”

“You were in a fight?” Ryeowook blinks, wondering exactly how much he missed while he was trying to play the role of future Lord, cooped up in his room and feeling sorry for himself. Jongwoon and Sungmin look at each other sheepishly and nod, and Ryeowook simply sighs. “Honestly, I really can’t leave you alone, can I?”

"Let's just put it all behind us," Jongwoon mumbles, stilling Sungmin's sure attempt to explain what happened. "We have more important things to focus on. Like making sure every one of us doesn't end up in a shallow grave or blown to smithereens." The air thickens again and the four of them are quiet, each contemplating deeply their plan of action. "So, what are we going to do?" He turns to Sungmin, silently relenting his authority as the eldest to the younger man, who seems to be the most capable at coming up with plans.

Sungmin gulps, the burden of expectation weighing heavily on his shoulders. "Well... the first thing we have to do is get the people to believe us so they can prepare. Get the women and kids to shelter, obviously, and get the men to take up arms so that if we have to fight, they're ready."

"But how are we going to fight them?" Henry asks quietly. "Your people don't use firearms. For one thing it's dangerous as hell down here with the cavern walls but I don't think they used gunpowder when your ancestors came here. Not only will the miners have a weaponry advantage, we won't even be able to _reach_ them."

"And that poses the threat of them getting here in the first place," Ryeowook adds quietly. "In order to even set foot down here, they'll have to blast their way through. By that point whoever isn't dead or blinded from the shockwave will be of little use to fight the miners." Sungmin curses under his breath, mind racing a mile a minute, trying to come up with something.

"We'll have to stop them before they get here, then," Jongwoon murmurs, and all eyes fall on him. Sungmin bites his inner cheek, shaking his head as the problems with that plan crash together in their race to slip his tongue.

"But that means we'll have to send every last man up the river, armed and all. Against that current alone is risky, adding a weapon to the mix makes it suicide!" Sungmin feels that familiar tug of helplessness creep up his spine, much the way it did when they hit the wall at the edge of the Forbidden Land all those months ago. But Jongwoon's eyes sparkle with an idea. 

"Unless there's another way out," he suggests, making everyone's jaw drop. "Come on, think about it! You can't honestly expect all of our ancestors to have made it here through the river, like we did. Not to mention, how did the animals get down here? The crops?" Sungmin's eyes alight with realization as he catches on to Jongwoon's drift.

"And there has to be a record of how they got here somewhere," he breathes, heart pounding faster by the second. "And the most likely place it would be written down is in one of the restricted tomes. What do you want to bet it's in the Elder Scroll?"

A look of hope dawns over Henry's face, the future for once not looking so bleak. Ryeowook, however, furls his eyebrows in suspicion. "There's only one problem with that," he says quietly, refusing to meet the others' eyes. He hates to be the one to halt the roll they had going but it has to be said. "None of us are Elders. Sungmin, you of all people should know what happened to the last person who tried to read it. The only person who would be allowed to read it is..." he trails off, seeing Sungmin wilt.

“The highest ranking elder, my father,” He says softly hanging his head and cursing, knowing that there’s no way to have access to them with his father gone. And no way of sneaking in to read them, as that would only cause more distrust and chaos among the villagers. “And I’m sure it will be taken just about as well as when my mother did it if any of us read it. We’ll just have to convince him before we speak then, if he agrees to read them then maybe we’ll have a chance.”

“But will he even listen?” Jongwoon questions, wary of the past events around the scrolls and Sungmin’s father’s general temperament, even if he seems different than before in the few minutes they saw each other. “And will we have time to be able to do all of this? These miners could be on our heads the longer it takes us to do any of this!”

"It's the only shot we've got," Sungmin says, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. "We have to get to my father somehow. I don't know if we'll have time to get there before we try and talk to the villagers... maybe, just maybe, if we can convince the villagers without it, I can try and talk to my father while the villagers are preparing. We should have enough time then," he says slowly, clearing running this plan through his head several times. He sees the flaws, but he can't come up with another plan in such a short amount of time. 

"We'll do that, then," Henry says definitively, giving Sungmin's arm a supportive squeeze. "We don't have the time for second guessing. We only have one chance at this so we have to go all out." Jongwoon and Ryeowook nod in agreement, slightly less convinced than Henry but it's the best they have. Henry nods again in the silence, turning to Sungmin. "So have you figured out what you're going to say to them? Surely it won't be as hard as convincing your father, that was nothing short of witchcraft in all honesty."

“Maybe it was, we do have demons on our side after all,” Sungmin says lightly, trying to lift the suffocating air around them slightly. Henry seems to sense what he’s trying to do and gives his arm another squeeze, smiling at him reassuringly. “We’ve gotten this far already, we can’t let this stop us now. Just a bit farther and we’ll be in the clear, this won’t get in our way.”

“Not like we have any other choice,” Jongwoon snorts, feeling his stomach churn a bit at the thought of standing in front of their entire community, sure that his brother and his family will be there if the Elder manages to gather everyone. He gets ready to leave and heads towards the door, and Ryeowook’s hand clasps his for a moment, seeming to sense his anxiety. “But we should probably leave now, the Elder will hopefully have everyone gathered soon, and if not then maybe you can talk to him, Sungmin.”

"Yeah," Sungmin agrees with a heaving sigh, bracing himself in preparation for the confrontation. Despite all hopes he has a horrible feeling in his stomach that this is all going to go terribly wrong. Henry rubs his shoulder comfortingly and he smiles weakly. "I'll, um, be out in a minute. Would you mind giving us a minute?" he asks quietly, searching for Henry's hand and clinging to it for dear life. Jongwoon and Ryeowook share a knowing glance before standing from the table.

"We'll just be out in the living room," Ryeowook nods, letting Jongwoon lead him through Sungmin's childhood home. Sungmin sighs and rubs his temple, before bringing his hand clasped with Henry's to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of Henry's palms.

"You had better not be thinking of a way to say your last goodbyes," Henry warns, only half joking, the other half worried that that's _exactly_ what Sungmin plans to do. But the older man merely shakes his head, eyes staring ahead blankly and never letting go of Henry's hand.

"No, of course not," Sungmin murmurs, fingers tightening around Henry's. He is silent for a moment, before heaving a huge sigh. "I just... I'm terrified," he admits finally. "What if this all goes wrong? What if we can't get the people to listen, what if we aren't in time?" 

"We will be," Henry says firmly. "I believe in that. More importantly, I believe in _you_ , Sungmin. Your plans haven't gotten us killed yet, so I'd say you're doing a pretty damn good job. And no matter what happens, the thing that counts is that you did your very best, without coercion. Whatever happens, you tried, and no one will be able to fault you for that." He leans is and presses a chaste kiss to Sungmin's lips to bring him back to Earth. "Yeah?"

Sungmin nods weakly, still not meeting Henry's eyes. "Yeah. Just... Henry, remember what you promised me. No matter what, get out of here alive."

“I’ll remember,” Henry says softly, not even bothering to argue anymore, wanting to at least give Sungmin some peace of mind. He presses his forehead to Sungmin’s, keeping their hands linked and trying to calm the other man some. “But remember your promise to me too, that you won’t leave me, that you’ll come back alive. I’m with you in this, remember that you don’t have to carry everything on your own.”

Sungmin nods shallowly and his mind clears a bit as Henry’s presence filters in through the cracks, smiling slightly when the younger begins to hum his mother’s lullaby under his breath. He feels himself calming down, and indulges in being able to enjoy this quiet moment for a bit more, knowing that all this could be gone if they aren’t able to pull this off.

“I’ll come back,” Sungmin murmurs eventually, pulling back slightly and finally looking Henry in the eye, managing a shaky smile, pressing another kiss to their joined hands. Henry looks worried for him still, but Sungmin can see the love and trust shining in his eyes and draws some confidence from it. “You still haven’t told me what it was you said earlier, my curiosity wouldn’t let me simply abandon that.”

Henry scoffs and smiles. "You actually remember that?" Sungmin nods earnestly and gives him a look like _of course I do you big dummy_. Henry smiles softly but inside his heart flutters, the simple little thing making him feel a hundred times lighter. He'll never tell Sungmin, but it's for these reasons and so much more that he'll risk his life for people he doesn't know, who were at one point out for his blood -- all because they mean so much to Sungmin, who means so much to him. "It's still a secret!"

"Alright," Sungmin nods with a roll of his eyes, leaning in for one more lingering kiss before pulling Henry up from his seat. Even if their escape from this nerve-wracking reality was brief, it's enough to give Sungmin the strength to push on through this. "Let's go now, we really should leave if we're to speak with my father."

“Yeah,” Henry says, smiling softly at Sungmin and squeezing his hand once more, hoping that he can at least be a source of strength for Sungmin to draw on. The other man smiles back and he thinks that he’s at least helped some, feeling relieved. “Now let’s go fetch the other two love birds before they get up to something else, never know what will happen when you leave them alone for too long.”

Sungmin chuckles slightly at the way Henry wags his eyebrows at him, and feels his mood brighten immensely, wondering what he’d ever do without the younger man in his life. He tries to organize his thoughts more as he pulls Henry to the living room, and thinks he might have them in order when they find Ryeowook and Jongwoon. They’re sitting close on the couch with Jongwoon’s head resting on Ryeowook’s shoulder, Ryeowook speaking soft enough that only Jongwoon can hear him.

"Are you guys ready?" Henry calls softly, so as not to startle them, but taking the initiative so that Sungmin can finish collecting his thoughts. The two of them turn inward toward each other, looking surprisingly somber as they nod and stand from the couch. Henry knits his brow at the dark cloud over them. "Don't tell me _you two_ said your last goodbyes." Ryeowook casts him a sharp glare but Henry doesn't flinch. "I already had this talk with Sungmin, you're not allowed to die." 

"It's not a matter of being allowed to or not, Henry," Ryeowook snaps. "I'd rather have my affairs in order if... if the worst case scenario comes to pass." Jongwoon presses a hand on Ryeowook's shoulder, almost instantly diffusing the younger man.

"No one is going to die," he says softly. "We're here to make sure of that. But," Jongwoon continues, as Ryeowook opens his mouth. "Saying 'I love you' an extra couple of times never hurt anyone, did it? I'm sure you understand that much, Henry. No more arguing -- we can do this."

“Yeah, we can,” Sungmin says, finally speaking up and looking at them with renewed determination in his eyes, thoughts in order and deciding to take what comes, only conscious of putting every effort into convincing them and keeping those dear to him safe. Ryeowook sighs and nods as well, leaning against Jongwoon for another moment before simply leaving their hands clasped. “We’ve given every effort to try and keep everyone safe, if this fails then we can at least know that we tried our best.”

They all nod in agreement and Sungmin takes one more deep breath, heading towards the door and taking Henry with him, sending up one more prayer to Luzo.

_Let us get through this, please._

...

"Yes ma'am, my father is gathering everyone at the Clock, there's an emergency," Sungjin says urgently, as the woman taps her foot impatiently. She's got a baby on one hip and a spatula in free hand -- evidently he's interrupting her extensive supper preparations. "I promise, there wouldn't be such a fuss if the situation weren't absolutely dire. Please, come as soon as you can manage."

As the woman scurries back into her house, Sungjin sighs and runs both hands through his hair. That should be the last house before... he shudders. Jongjin and his parents are not going to take Jongwoon's return well, he's certain. He doesn't know if they're already at the square with all the commotion but he figures, he owes it to the older boy, for helping him hold on to his sanity when their brothers first vanished, to be the ones to personally inform them of the situation.

He rushes to the direction of Jongwoon’s family’s house as soon as the woman is in the door, hoping that he isn’t too late and they aren’t already in the square. He doesn’t even want to think about what Jongjin’s reaction will be to suddenly seeing his brother very much alive and well, knowing how close the two were before his disappearance. It only spurs him to move faster, all but throwing open the door to his friend’s house, dismayed when he realizes it’s empty.

He turns on heel and begins making his way to the square, sure that his father managed to gather anyone else in town. His main priority when he finally makes it the the clock in the square is to find Jongjin among the many gathered heads, people moving and restless thanks to the sudden call to meet, whispered gossip passing through the people.

Sungjin finally spots Jongjin near the front, standing away from his parents and looking quite perplexed with the whole situation, nearly jumping in surprise when Sungjin grabs his arm, panting from all the running. Sungjin hushes the question on his lips in favor of speaking quickly, not wanting to miss being able to give Jongjin at least some heads up.

“Jongjin, listen, you won’t believe it but you have to listen to me,” He says quickly, seeing his father step in front of the crowd and knows he only has a moment, trying to get everything he needs to say out before his father calls for silence. “Jongwoon and Sungmin aren’t dead, they’re back and _alive_!”

Jongjin's eyes wide, and he looks up at his parents, who are paying them no attention. "Sungjin, you've really lost it, haven't you?" he hisses, dragging the younger boy a way's away from his parents, so that they aren't in earshot. "You're lucky my parents didn't hear you, they've only just started moving on."

Sungjin shakes his head in earnest. "No, Jongjin, I haven't gone mad! I really saw them, they're _here_. I _saw_ them, they spoke to me, to my father--"

"Now you really _are_ talking crazy," Jongjin breathes, recoiling back a bit from his friend with wide eyes. "Or have you so easily forgotten that it is your father who mandated that the _entire town_ pretend the two of them never existed? Quit acting this way, Sungjin. I know you miss Sungmin but I think you're seeing things. Perhaps we ought to take you to the healer--"

"I'm _not_ crazy," Sungjin denies adamantly. He sees his father wave his arm out of the corner to quiet the crowd and he forcefully turns Jongjin by the shoulder to face the Elder. "Just listen. You'll see."

Once the restless crowd is quiet enough to hear over, the Elder takes his place at the front of the crowd. Other elders trickle down to the front, mumbling amongst themselves before turning their attention to the highest ranked man. "Sir Elder, what is this all about?" one of the younger men question. "For what reason have you summoned the whole town?" 

"A dire situation has been brought to my attention," the Elder says slowly, all business now and once again choosing his words carefully. "A situation which may cost the lives of every man, woman and child in this very town." A frightened collection of gasps and horrified whispers erupt, but are quickly silenced by one look from the Elder.

"But what situation could be so dire that we have not already seen the consequences of it?" one female Elder asks. "Surely if it is as bad as you say, then we would no doubt have seen and put a stop to it."

"Indeed we would have, but I fear that it is the trouble unseen that is perhaps the most dangerous," the Elder states vaguely, trying to buy time for Sungmin and Jongwoon to show up. He spots movement out of the corner of his eye, from an alley just off to the side of the clock, and nods subtly. "That judgement, while very true, is also a rash one and often a mistaken conclusion to jump to, one that I admit I am guilty of. Therefore I ask that you do not make the same mistake that I have and listen. Listen well, to the ones who brought the situation to my attention."

For a brief moment that Sungmin and Jongwoon step out of the alley, there is a moment of stunned silence, and Jongjin feels like his heart grinds to a screeching halt. Then two more figures hesitantly step out from the alley as well, and all hell breaks loose. People begin to shriek, in terror and in irrational anger. 

"Demons! Of course it is a dire situation, Elder, how could you let _demons_ walk freely in our midst!" 

"Sungmin and Jongwoon are back from the dead! Surely we have angered Luzo, what else could warrant this!?" 

Sungmin and Jongwoon try and shout over the crowd to no avail, and when the crowd pushes forward to attack them they have no choice but to defend themselves, and Ryeowook and Henry, who refuse to put up arms in hopes that they can prove their good intentions. The Elders try to restore order, even all the while glaring at the highest Elder for starting all the rucking, when one bellowing voice echoes over all the crowd.

"For Luzo's sake, _stop!_!" The riot slowly calms down to an uncomfortable churn, all eyes turning to the back of the crowd, where Healer Jungsu and his frightened daughter are just arriving. "For heaven's sake, _look_ at yourselves! Have you forgotten, that those two boys are two of the children you watched grow from the time that they were born? How could you so blindly lash out at them like this? You should all be _thankful_ that they are alive and well!"

This only seems to cause more chaos among the crowd, some tentatively agreeing with Jungsu while the more vocal simply rebuke louder, calling for the heads of the demons standing before them. Ryeowook and Henry seem to blanch but stand where they are, Sungmin and Jongwoon continuing to try and speak.

“Silence!” The Elder finally booms, and the people’s voices slowly quiet until the discontent are mere shockwaves through the crowd. Jongwoon and Sungmin still stand determined though, and Jongjin’s mouth hangs open in disbelief, eyes focused completely on his brother. “Hold your opinions until after they speak, there is much that they have to tell you all. All I ask is that you listen, and try to understand what they are saying.”

"What curse have they wrought upon our Elder?" a voice, quiet though it is, makes it way over the crowd. Whoever it is is hidden well by the crowd but her voice echoes the sentiments of most of the people there. The other Elders shift uncomfortably, peering over at their leader, also unsure of whether to believe him or not. 

"He is our Elder," Jungsu argues once more, now that the people are relatively calmed. "Or in case you haven't forgotten, he once punished his own son for the good of the people, for the good of _you_. How dare you turn his back on him now. I, for one, will listen to what these supposed demons have to say."

“I will as well,” Sulli speaks up, stepping out from behind her father and staring down the unsure gazes of the crowd, murmuring still present. There is another agreement sounded from Jungmo and the other farmers slowly join in, most of the crowd at least reluctantly willing to listen to what the two have to say. “They deserve a chance to defend themselves against you all, a chance to speak for what it is they need to say.”

“Now is an opportune time to say your piece,” The Elder murmurs to Sungmin, nodding at he and Jongwoon and gesturing at the slightly more alert crowd. Jongwoon avoids his family’s gaze resolutely, focusing on a point toward the back of the crowd and feeling Ryeowook’s eyes on his back. “Though I can’t say if I’ll be able to stay them if they riot, think carefully on your words before you say them.”

Sungmin nods, still standing protectively in front of Henry, Jongwoon doing much the same for Ryeowook. He gulps imperceptibly, before turning out to face the crowd. "My people, I come to you to warn you of a terrible danger that draws ever closer, even as we speak. I beg you, please do not think us demons. Believe us, we know you fear us now, but we would not have returned if it weren't a matter of life and death."

Sungmin pauses for a moment to gauge the crowd's respond to his words. They still seem unconvinced, but at least they're still listening to him. He debates for a moment whether or not telling them the whole truth, not sure they'll swallow the fact that there's another world above them. But he quickly decides that he has to tell them, at least, working out a way in his head to lead them up to that bit. "There is a wicked force out to reap our stars, and the means they aim to use are very dangerous, very _lethal_. We have come to warn you, to fight back."

This sets the crowd off again, voices raised in a cacophony of sound as the more vocal dissenters scoff at the idea that there could be anyone else out there, let alone _someone who would dare bring on the rage of Luzo by taking our stars, it’s preposterous!_. They wait patiently for everyone to calm down again before Jongwoon steps forward, speaking firmly and above the still circulating whispers.

“No matter what you might think, it’s true,” He says, pointing in the direction of the Forbidden Land, where Ryeowook and Henry fell from the sky originally. “There _are_ other people out there, Sungmin and I saw them first hand, and Ryeowook and Henry are some of them. There are some that wish to come here and essentially destroy us all, and we need to prepare for that, or we will all die.”

"They do not know the grace of Luzo or how this will anger him," Henry adds quietly, getting the people's attention as he goes on with the roll that Sungmin and Jongwoon started. "They know only greed. In the land that we come from, your stars fetch a high price. They will stop at nothing to get their filthy hands on it."

“How would an outsider know anything of the grace of Luzo,” A voice from the back calls, and Henry shrinks back down a bit, though the determined expression remains on his face. Sungmin steps closer to him and stares down the crowd, as if daring anyone to make an action against Henry. “You cannot simply expect us to believe all of these fairy tales of other worlds!”

"They know what we've taught them," Sungmin answers calmly, though his heart is anything but calm, "and we know what they've shown us. But if you don't believe us, perhaps the Elders would agree to reading the records left to us by our ancestors. Surely those will prove to you that this is no fairy tale." He turns to his father, sending as apologetic look as he can without showing his fear to the crowd for springing this on the man. The other Elders bristle but know the decision is up to him.

His father blinks in surprise for a moment before grimacing, eyes boring into Sungmin’s for a moment as he seems to weigh the possibilities in his mind, and Sungmin can almost see the scale of the man wanting to help his son versus the opinion of the village and the other elders. Sungmin simply prays he’ll say yes, shoulders tensing as he waits as he’s not sure how he’ll be able to convince everyone without physical proof, or find another way out besides the river. The Elder eventually nods slowly, sighing deeply first.

"I will fetch the Elder Scroll," he says with a finality, and immediately protests break out, even this time joined by his fellow Elders. He silences them with another wave of his hand, his face set into a grim expression. "If the Scroll says nothing of this other world then I will accept whatever punishment the Elders see fit for breaking one of the highest laws. But if indeed there is proof then we must act with haste, to ward off these dangerous men."

Sungmin’s father walks briskly away and Sungmin shoots him a grateful look before he goes, infinitely glad that things are still going according to his tentative plan. While his father is gone he and Jongwoon continue trying to explain the miners and their plans, though most of the explanations fall on deaf ears as the people refuse to believe anything until the Elder returns with the scroll and proof that what they say is the truth.

Henry and Ryeowook hang back nervously, occasionally glancing at each other with wide eyes. After Henry's original outburst neither of them had dared to even try to speak, afraid they would only incite further anger in the people. The longer Sungmin's father is gone, the more antsy the crowd grows. Sungmin surveys the crowd and spots his brother and Jongjin. Sungjin sees him and tries to give him an encouraging look, but Jongjin's face is a mask of shock, still not worn off. Out of the corner of his eye, Sungmin can see Jongwoon purposely keeping his gaze away from his family.

“You’re going to have to talk to him after this,” He murmurs to his friend, barely audible. Jongwoon gives him not notice besides nodding stiffly, but Sungmin can see the anxiety in his eyes, and knows just how nervous he is to talk to his family after all of this. Sungmin is about to say something else when the Elder is seen making his way back into the square, a scroll tucked under his arm and face set in an expressionless mask, coming to stop next to his son as the crowd quickly quiets again, anticipation filling the space.

Sungmin is sure that every breath in the crowd is drawn and held as the Elder unrolls the thick scroll, barely past the top, and even Sungmin feels his heart halt in his chest. Had his father read the scroll while fetching it, is their proof really so close to the beginning of the scroll? Or is there concrete proof _against_ their claims, so unrefutable that he hadn't even had to read any further? The Elder clears his throat and begins to read, voice projecting even though he isn't speaking all that loud.

" _And so it was that we were prohibited from worshipping our God and master, the good lord Luzo. Our people were scorned by the others before that, something that we were used to. However, after the execution of our priest, ordered by the wicked man who called himself King, we took up arms in protest. He had done nothing wrong, prosecuted and convicted without due process. But the moment we spoke out we were branded rebels, charged with treason and given two choices -- exile, or death. And we were the lucky ones. Once our people packed and left the kingdom forever we heard whispers of people being executed on the spot if they were caught worshipping as we worshipped._ "

“So it was true,” Ryeowook says softly as the Elder speaks, glancing at Henry and nodding, legends being confirmed by the words leaving the Elder’s mouth. Sungmin looks ready to collapse in relief, that the scroll isn’t going against what they are trying to say, and is in fact following near exact. The Elder continues to read as he watches the faces of the crowd, wonder mixed with shock, because why would their ancient records lie to them?

" _We sealed the entrance once we felt we were prepared enough to survive, completely isolated from what was once our home,_ " the Elder continues, nearly finished reading as he feels he has given enough to the people for them to believe what his son and the others were saying. It's difficult for him to swallow, however -- it is this information, this very scroll, that cost him the life of his dear wife. " _The stars in our sky not only provide light, but life, as their porous substance let in fresh air from the surface. Otherwise, we would have sealed ourselves in our own tomb. It will certainly be a challenge, but we will show our oppressors, that Luzo will not be silenced._ "

He rolls the scroll back up to it’s original position and gazes across the crowd with finality, and there’s a moment of blessed silence before everything breaks into chaos again, voices clambering to be heard as this new information is absorbed. Sungmin sighs in relief, it’s exactly as they’d hoped it had been, now all they need is to find this entrance spoken of in the scroll, and they might have a chance.

“Silence!” He calls loudly, trying to use the same commanding tone he’s heard his father use so often, and the crowd’s attention turns to him, questions dying to be released from their mouths. He speaks first though, trying to get what he needs to say in before the crowd stirs into another riot. “As you can see, the scroll confirms what it is that we are trying to tell you. There _is_ a world beyond our own out there, with people who have wished to harm our kind in the past. This is why we need to defend ourselves, to protect ourselves from another massacre!”

"We've seen what they're capable of," Jongwoon adds firmly, relieved beyond relief that they don't have a murderous riot on their hands anymore. "Ryeowook and Henry grew up with it. They know better than anyone what we're up against. We haven't got much time now, we need to take up arms and find this sealed entrance so that we can head these bastards off."

There are a few calls of agreement in the crowd, and Sungmin nearly passes out as they spread farther, dissenting cries beginning to morph into reluctant agreement, relief passing over him. Henry seems to relax a little beside him even, glad that there appears to be no angry riot out for his blood yet. He sends a tentative smile in the younger’s direction and it’s returned for a moment, before turning back to the crowd to try and rally them to action.

"Women and children should head to the farms and take shelter," he calls, voice all determination and order. "If, Luzo forbid, they should actually get here before we are ready the stars above the Forbidden Land are the most likely target. The farms are the furthest place from that. Men, get your weapons and meet back here. We need to scour for where this entrance was sealed. The only other way back to the surface is through the river, up through the Forbidden Land. Hopefully we don't have to resort to that."

The crowd disperses as panic sets in, women herding up their children and letting their husbands urge them off to the barns on the far side of town are. Jungsu and his daughter smile proudly at Sungmin and Jongwoon, wave at them, before Sungmin sees Jungsu turn to his daughter, no doubt ordering her to go join the women in the barns while he helps the men fight. Sungmin heaves a heavy sigh, silently thanking Luzo for yet another miracle, when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

"You did good, son," the Elder says, face tired but graced with a small smile, and Sungmin has to keep his jaw from dropping at the _pride_ he sees in his father's eyes, something he hasn't seen since he was a very small child. "You would have made a fine Elder." _Would have_. Sungmin feels his throat dry as he realizes, his father knows he isn't going to stay, once this is all said and done. He knows Sungmin is going to return to the surface.

“Father...” He says softly, feeling like his heart is stuck in his throat and unable to find the right words that he wants to say to the man, feeling like a piece of himself in snapping back into place. He feels suddenly like he’s just a little child again, a semblance of what his father used to be like returning to him. “Thank you.”

His father simply smiles at him, before heeding the other elder’s beckoning and going over to speak with them, leaving the four of them to themselves again, unable to do anything but stare at each other and marvel that things actually went according to plan for once.

Ryeowook is the first to notice that as the crowd dissipates, three people haven't moved an inch. His eyes soften, as Jongwoon's back is to his family, and he nudges the older man in the shoulder. "Jongwoon..." he murmurs, pointing over Jongwoon's shoulder. Jongwoon gulps before turning around slowly, Sungjin leading Jongjin back to his parents by the crook of his elbow, their faces still completely disbelieving. "You should go talk to them."

“I know,” Jongwoon says softly, shuffling back and forth a moment more and Ryeowook feels for his lover, seeing some of that almost painful awkwardness on his face and hating that he should have to feel that way around his own family. Ryeowook leans in for a moment under the guise of whispering something and squeezes Jongwoon’s arm encouragingly, trying to give him some strength. “I’m just a bit nervous, I don’t want them to hate me.”

"They won't hate you," Sungmin offers his best friend with a small smile. "They may think you're a ghost at first but they'll get over it. Trust me, if I can get my father to come around, your parents will be a piece of cake." He gets a nervous chuckle and pats Jongwoon's arm, before turning him around and giving him a light shove. "They'll be glad to have you back."

“I hope you’re right,” Jongwoon mumbles, glancing back with one more pleading look before continuing towards his family, stopping when he’s standing right in front of the stunned trio, taking a deep breath and offering a tentative smile, not sure how to start off. “Mom, Dad, Jongjin.”

The three of them are breathless for a while, simply staring at Jongwoon as though they are staring at his ghost (which, they believe, they very well might be). Jongwoon gulps, mind racing a mile a minute trying to think of something intelligent to say, when his mother tentatively steps out in front of him, raising a trembling hand and placing it on his cheek.

“Jongwoon,” She breathes, and Jongwoon feels unbelievably guilty for a moment, damage that his absence has done to his family clear as day on his mother’s face in that moment, summed up in complete disbelief and unbelievable hope. He smiles shakily and simply glances over them, nodding slightly as his mother finishes. “It’s really you, isn’t it? My eldest son has returned to us.”

"It's really me," Jongwoon replies in a soft murmur, placing his hand over his mother's. The gesture seems to throw her over the edge, and the tears that had been welling up in her eyes burst forth as she throws her arms around his neck and sobs into his shoulders. His father is his next to come to his senses, whispering _my son_ and inching forward, wanting to see for himself that Jongwoon is no apparition.

The only one who stays back is Jongjin, still seemingly frozen in shock. Jongwoon half expected this, and sighs under his breath as his parents squeeze the life out of him, waiting until they let go to smile at them softly, asking for a moment alone with Jongjin. They seem reluctant to leave, but one look at their sons convince them, the tension in the air between them nearly palpable. Jongwoon waits patiently, knowing if Jongjin gets impatient enough he’ll speak first, or snap out of whatever world he’s stuck in.

As their parents leave to join the other townsfolk, Jongjin barely breathes as he steps forward, inch by inch until he's face to face with his brother. He, too, traces Jongwoon's face, briefly holding it between both hands as though the minute he lets go he'll wake up and this will all be a dream. Then, his face scrunches up in irrational anger, and he rears back and punches Jongwoon in the face.

“How dare you,” He hisses, and Jongwoon just lets him vent, not even raising his hand to touch the side of his face which he’s sure will bruise, looking Jongjin straight in the eye. It breaks his heart when he sees the tears well up in his little brother’s eyes, but he just bites his lip and lets him continue. “How dare you leave our family, leave _me_ like that! I thought you were dead, Jongwoon! Do you know how long it’s even taken us to get this far and accept that you’re gone, just to have you waltz back in? How could you do that?”

He throws himself at his older brother, pounding his chest as hard as he can, repeatedly, quickly losing coherency as his angry words slur together through the tears. Jongwoon stands his ground, waiting out the blows with little more than a wince, until they slowly lose their force and Jongjin is simply clinging to his shirt. The younger boy's knees give out and Jongwoon's arms are around his waist in a flash, sinking to the ground with Jongjin as the younger hiccups _I hate you, I hate you_ between sobs with no real heat in his voice.

“I’m sorry,” Jongwoon finally says softly, holding Jongjin tightly and shushing him as the sobs quiet down, words a bare whisper against his older brother’s chest. Jongjin curls his hands in the back of Jongwoon’s shirt tightly, clutching him like he’s afraid Jongwoon will disappear in any moment, not wanting to have to lose his brother again despite his words of hating him. “I don’t really have any excuses, and I’m not sorry I left, but I am sorry for leaving you like that, Jongjin. You have every right to hate me, to be angry with me.”

Jongjin tightens his grip in his brother's shirt, giving a great sniffle. "I hate you for leaving us, Jongwoon. It hurt so much. We searched and searched for you, but there wasn't even a trace, and then... and then we weren't even allowed to give you a proper funeral, and... and..." his voice cracks, sobs threatening to overcome him again, and he swallows thickly. "Just don't leave us again. Don't leave me, brother."

“I’ll never leave you,” Jongwoon murmurs, patting his brother on the back and remembering when they were young, when Jongjin would come crying to him over every little thing, and he’d have to rock him until he calmed down, sternly telling him to not be such a cry baby. He knows he can’t promise his staying, but he doesn’t want to let his brother down either. “Even when I’m not right in front of you, I’m always right here, in your heart.”

Jongjin is too emotional to catch Jongwoon's addition, only hearing _I'll never leave you_ and his ears closing off after that. His mind quickly follows, the sheer shock of the whole situation finally taking its toll on him and he collapses against his brother in a dead faint. Jongwoon sighs, having expected something like this might happen, tenderly brushing away the bangs from his baby brother's face. He looks up at Sungmin and Ryeowook and Henry, who all nod.

"Take him home," Sungmin offers. "The women at the barn will only fritter and fret, and your house is far enough from the Forbidden Land should anything happen. I'll cover you until you get back." Jongwoon nods and hefts his brother up on his back. Ryeowook makes to follow but Jongwoon sends him a look, sadly shaking his head, and Ryeowook sighs with a nod. Jongwoon takes off at a quick pace toward his house against the growing crowd, anxious for many reasons and not just setting foot inside his home again for the first time in months.

_This is it_ , he thinks. _This is our final stand._  



	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle begins; the unexpected happens.

"Search every corner!"

"Don't miss a single crack!"

"The entrance has to be around here somewhere!"

Sungmin listens to the men cry as the villagewide search for the sealed entrance spoken of in the Elder Scroll goes on. He sighs and keeps looking, Henry and Ryeowook not too far from his sight, all too conscious of the weight of the short blade tucked into the back of his belt. He's never been particularly trained in sword work, all of what he knows only ceremonial, and the thought never crossed his mind for a second that he would have to use his father's treasured blade. Hopefully when they confront the miners it doesn't come to that.

The search is still going strong when Sungmin sees Jongwoon jogging back up to join them, forehead still creased in thought but having obviously dropped off his brother. He acknowledges Sungmin but then makes a beeline to where Ryeowook is feeling along the rock walls, whispering something quickly to the other man to which Ryeowook simply nods. They’re edging closer to the the geysers where Ryeowook and Henry were kept originally, and Sungmin hopes that they’ll be able to find this mythical passage soon or there may be no hope for them.

A glance over at Henry make Sungmin furrow his brows -- the younger man is obviously nervous to be around the death traps, but is determined to help however he can. Sungmin makes his way over and pats Henry's shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. Henry twitches his lips up in a weak smile back, wanting nothing more than to cling to Sungmin but knowing he can't.

“I’ll be okay, don’t worry,” He says softly instead, knowing that Sungmin is itching to ask him, hand squeezing his shoulder once more and concerned eyes locking with his before they resume searching. It’s a silence filled ten minutes from them and the men of the village before a victorious cry sounds, and Henry’s head snaps to see the men crowded around what seems to be myriad of rocks, attempting to pull them away.

"So close to the geysers," Sungmin mutters with wide eyes, as more and more men swarm the rocks, all scrabbling at it and tossing chunks of rock away. His mind is working a mile a minute, before he jumps into the fray and starts pulling the rocks away, Ryeowook and Henry and Jongwoon squeezing in around him and helping. In a matter of minutes, there's an entranceway about six feet wide and ten feet high, a tunnel revealed and a tiny pinprick of light visible a ways up.

“Well, I think we’ve found what that scroll was talking about,” Ryeowook mumbles as they all stand in awe of the sudden path opened to them, villagers seeming to be reluctant to step through the new path. Some of them seem to be scrutinizing the strange light and Sungmin realizes that they have no idea what the sun is, just like he and Jongwoon didn’t, a time that feels like it was so long ago. “We need to go through now, time is of the essence.”

When the men in the crowd murmur their reluctance, Sungmin frowns. He hears someone mutter _maybe someone should go fetch the Elders, have them examine this before we go up blindly_ and he sighs before clearing his throat. "We don't have that kind of time. But I don't think we'll all fit through at once, I think we should split up into four groups and go up one group at a time. That way we can patrol different areas and get to those miners faster than if we all stuck together."

“Jongwoon, Ryeowook, Henry and I will lead them,” He continues, waving his hand to silence and objections that might have began to emerge from the crowd, knowing how wary some of the men still are of Ryeowook and Henry, many seeming to still believe them to be demons among them. “And when we get up there some things may seem startling to you, but you must not panic. There is nothing beyond other human beings in this spot that will harm you, we must stand strong.”

The men still seem hesitant, but Jongwoon takes advantage of his age, older than a good portion of the crowd, and squares his shoulders. "Well, what are you waiting for? You heard the man, group up. And if you give Henry or Ryeowook trouble, be certain that the miners will be the least of your troubles. They're both here to help you." Everyone blinks in surprise at Jongwoon's sternness, the once passive and quiet man standing before them like an authority figure.

Sungmin shakes his head and has to fight the smile on his lips as he sees the secretly pleased look on Jongwoon’s face as the men follow Henry and Ryeowook through the cavern, the two men with the most experience leading the way out. Jongwoon and Sungmin take up the rear, and hear the scared and awed cries as the first onslaught of men step out of the cavern, eyes gazing upon the sun for the first time in their lives.

Sungmin curses as the wind bites his face when he steps out of the tunnel, entrance well hidden in what looks like a naturally formed rock formation. He had forgotten about the snow on the ground -- most of the villagers are used to the temperature in the village dipping just a bit at certain times of the year but their clothing is hardly suited for the harsh cold. The mid-afternoon sun shines bright in the clear western sky, barely a cloud on the canvas of blue.

“Alright, divide yourself and we’ll set out, the men we’re looking for can’t be too far from here,” Sungmin says, loudly and clearly to be heard over the whistle of the wind, making sure each man is listening to him and over their shock of being on the surface for the first time. He tries to direct their attention to Ryeowook and Henry and Jongwoon, hoping that everything will turn out okay with Ryeowook and Henry and the men will do as they should. “If one group finds them then call for the other’s, and be careful.”

"And watch out for the snow, it'll be frozen solid into ice in some spots. You'll slip and fall on your weapon if you aren't careful," he adds, hoping they understand that snow is the substance they're standing in. "Those of you going in Henry or Ryeowook's group, listen well to their advice. Like I said before, they know this area much better than anyone else here. If you're with them, quite frankly, you're better off."

There a murmurs of agreement among the men and the quietly divide themselves into the groups, most of the younger ones seeming to gravitate towards Jongwoon, seeming to want to be with the eldest among them. Sungmin nods when the groups are mostly even, and he sets off in one direction, noticing how Ryeowook and Henry follow similarly and Jongwoon takes his group closest to the outcropping, edging along it.

"Be careful," he says again, casting a worried glance to Henry before leading his group away. Jongwoon watches him lead, admiring his younger friend for stepping up to the plate like he has, and he too exchanges glances with his lover, silently communicating with Ryeowook before waving his group to follow. He strains to listen to the sound of the river as it flows underground, running through the most likely place the miners would be in his mind.

He’s made it a ways along the outcrop, sending reassuring smiles back to his group as they attempt to follow solidly behind him, still a few feet away. He can hardly see the other groups as they cross over the edges of the rock, moving faster than his group in the first place. He’s sure he’s reached somewhere the miners have been at least when he sees a strange bump lying against the rock ahead, and squints a bit before realizing there’s a fuse on the top, curses leaving his lips.

"Jongwoon, what is that?" one of the men asks him, eyes wide with confusion. Jongwoon tosses a glance back and sees the man is hardly a few years older than Jongjin, and curses again. He kneels forward at the stick of dynamite, brushing the snow off where it had been covered, showing his people the explosive.

"This," he says, "is dynamite. Gunpowder, and it literally will explode when it is set fire. I've never actually seen it used before but Ryeowook told me that it's used to jar rock loose for mining, as it's much more effective than pickaxes. Except, it's extremely dangerous, so they time it with wire fuse so that they can be a safe distance away when it detonates. If the miners have already set this up, there's bound to be more, and we have less time than we thought. We'll have to follow the fuse to the end, where the miners will have to be in order to light it.”

“We need to get there before they light it, or what we feared could come to pass,” Jongwoon explains, more calmly than he feels, getting back up and following the fuse with his eyes to where he sees it run into the forest, eyes straining to find the end. He surmises that it must be within the forest somewhere and is about to tell the men, _barely older than boys_ , he thinks, to stop gawking and move out again when he sees a small spark of light, barely the size of a mouse, moving along the ground.

His eyes widen as it darts past his feet, and he barely has time to spin around and yell "Get down!!" before the dynamite explodes barely ten feet away from him. He feels the force of the shockwave throw him, his feet swept out from under him, and he slams into the stone outcropping, head cracking square on the rock. The wind is knocked out of his lungs as he slumps to the ground, dazed and disoriented but somehow still conscious, ears ringing loudly. There's another gaping hole in the ground where the rock once stood, but otherwise the ground he lay on is still stable.

All he registers for a moment is the ringing, hands coming up shakily to cover his ears in hopes of somehow blocking the sound, but he feels a slippery substance on the back of his head, dimly registering as blood. Other sounds slowly fade in, and he hears the men who were with him panicking, vision blurred as he tries to lift his head to see the chaos that he still knows will be happening around him, but his head simply lolls to the side instead, feeling incredibly tired. There are dots dancing on his vision as his hands finally fall from his head, and he can see the blood coloring his fingers, something akin to panic rising in his chest.

"I-is everyone alright?" he tries to say, but it comes out a slurred, indecipherable mess of sounds. There's another shockwave further up the river as more dynamite explodes and somehow he has the coherent thought to _get out of there_. He uses the rock that's stained with his blood to rise to unsteady feet, hardly able to put one foot in front of the other. "We... go... it's a minefield, we need to... need to go," he forces, two men who are bruised and scratched but otherwise unharmed hurrying to either side before he pitches forward.

He barely registers the sound of panicked screaming, seeing someone take of running in the direction they came screaming _Help! Someone help us, we have wounded!_. Jongwoon tries to shove off the two men holding him up. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he mumbles, tongue incredibly difficult to maneuver, trying to stand on his own even as he feels the warm liquid trickle down the back of his neck.

“Oh Luzo, Jongwoon you are not fine,” He hears next to his ear, and he blinks quickly to try and remember who exactly it is that’s talking to him, panicked voice not even making a dent in his memory. They try and push him back down into a sitting position and he tries to resist, but eventually his legs give out under him anyway, being let down on the ground and his head lolls around. The screaming around them continues and he notices how there really aren’t many people left around him, coming to the conclusion that they must have run off to find the others. He’s sure he can hear running footsteps though, and works to raise his head so he can try and discern if something he should know about is happening.

"Someone go find Jungsu, I think he went with Sungmin's group!" the other man with him shouts, and Jongwoon winces as the sound pierces through his skull like a thousand knives. "Quickly! Oh Luzo, this is bad, this is really bad..." The man steps away from Jongwoon's side for a minute, carefully running to examine the damage caused by the first explosion, and runs back. "Oh Luzo, I can see the river down there..."

“Calm down,” Jongwoon speaks up weakly, and the man looks shocked that he’s talking, quickly telling Jongwoon not to talk and wait for Jungsu, then continuing to talk to himself and fret, pacing the ground in front of him. Jongwoon feels a stab of guilt as he notices some others on the ground, looking even worse than him from his perspective, and he hopes for their sakes that Jungsu is able to get to them quickly.

One man runs quickly and frantically across the ground, yelling for help and hoping that by some chance of luck he’ll be able to run into Jungsu. He was hardly injured in the blast, only a scrape on his arm to testify his being there, and he almost sobs in relief when he comes across another group of men, recognizing the one up front as one of the outsiders, his expression barely veiled panic.

“What’s happened?” Ryeowook demands, face turning pale as a ghost as the man is barely able to rattle of about the explosion, hardly able to even hear the end of it before he breaks out in a run to the direction of where the man came, only hearing the words _there’s so many injured, but Jongwoon is the worst, we need a healer!_ echoing in his mind.

So many thoughts run through Ryeowook's head as he tears deftly through the trees, stumbling on some roots but staying upright as he runs. He had heard the explosions, and knew they sounded close, but he naively had hoped that they were only test rounds. The sound of men running behind him doesn't even reach his ears as Ryeowook focuses purely on getting to Jongwoon, no matter what it takes.

"Please, God, let him be alright," he prays quietly between pants, tears stinging his eyes. He's seen the consequences of malpractice with dynamite, and the images haunt him now, no matter how hard he tries to keep them at bay. "Don't take him from me, please."

He blinks quickly to try and keep the tears from streaming down his cheeks, knowing he has to keep calm as he runs as fast as he can, dreading what he’ll see when he gets out of the cover of the trees. He sends up one more prayer to whoever might be listening as the tree line comes into view, pushing his legs as fast as they’ll go.

There are various amounts of men scattered around the obvious explosion site, but Ryeowook’s eyes try to focus on finding one person, and his heart drops to his stomach when he finally locates Jongwoon, seeing him sitting in the middle of an open patch of ground, eyes looking unfocused even from where he stands, staring intently on the ground as Ryeowook rushes towards him.

"Oh god," he breathes as he kneels down in front of Jongwoon, taking his face in both hands and trying to get the older man to focus his sight, to no avail. He leans forward to check the back of Jongwoon's head and hisses, rolling back on his heels as soon as he had looked. "What happened?" he asks again, voice quiet but steadier than he feels, turning to one of the men on either side of Jongwoon. This time he's listening -- he needs to know _exactly_ what happened.

"He was just having us follow him up the fuse," the first man replies, eyes wide and panicked. He had hoped that Ryeowook would be able to handle things, but he can tell with one glance that Ryeowook is a mere inch from losing it himself. "We saw the spark... there was just no time, and he...." his eyes trail over to the rock that Jongwoon hit, and Ryeowook gulps at the amount of blood he can see on it all the way where he is.

"How close was he to the blast?" Ryeowook asks, dreading the answer. His breath hitches when the man replies _maybe ten, fifteen feet, he didn't even get the chance to run_ , stomach churning with worry and anger and guilt. If only he had stopped his uncle way prior to all this, Jongwoon wouldn't be in this state. But he forces himself to take a deep breath, knowing there are others injured, too. "And the others?"

“Mostly okay,” The man says shakily, glancing around at all of them as if taking an internal census. He himself seems to be scraped up a bit, but nothing bad enough to warrant immediate medical attention. _Not like Jongwoon_ , he thinks with a slight tinge of dread, looking down at his lover again and seeing the way his head seems to be almost too heavy for his shoulders, bobbing forward. “There are a few that might have broken something, but I think we’re limited to mostly bruises and a few cuts.”

Ryeowook nods and quickly orders the man to see how the search for Jungsu in coming, and turning to tell the second to gather any others among the fallen men that will need medical attention, and before he knows it he’s alone with Jongwoon, shifting the man so that he can lie down with his neck resting on Ryeowook’s leg, trying to get Jongwoon to focus on him.

"Come on, Jongwoon, look at me," he coaxes, trying so hard to keep the panic from his voice. The older man blinks heavily, reflexes slow and no matter how hard he tries he can't get Ryeowook's face to come into focus. But he smiles, or at least he thinks he smiles, feeling in his body pretty much numb to everything except for the throbbing pain in the back of his head.

"Don't worry about me, Ryeowook, I'll be fine," he slurs, reaching a hand up to pat Ryeowook's face. He misses widely, and Ryeowook is quick to snatch his lover's hand and rest it back down at his side, but refuses to let go.

"You are anything but fine," Ryeowook snaps worriedly, wondering how on this Earth Jongwoon can still be thinking about anyone but himself right now. "Now you hush. Focus on your breathing, and keep trying to focus your eyes, okay?"

“Why does everyone think I’m so bad off, it’s not that bad,” Jongwoon mumbles, more to himself than Ryeowook, blinks becoming longer as his words slow down but trying to stay awake for Ryeowook’s sake at least, registering the near death grip on his hand. “Stop worrying so much, have a little faith.”

Ryeowook is about to snap at Jongwoon to stop talking already as it clearly saps what little energy he somehow retains, but suddenly Jongwoon goes completely limp in his arms. Ryeowook nearly has a full blown panic attack before he feels the pulse in Jongwoon’s wrist, heart jumping up in throat and a mantra of _no no no_ going through his head at how labored Jongwoon’s breathing is.

"Jongwoon, wake up, you can't sleep now," Ryeowook says with increasing panic, if that is even possible. "If you go to sleep now you won't be able to wake up, come on, come _on_ ," he breathes, tears sliding down his face. He knows what happens when someone underestimates a concussion, having seen many of his uncles' acquaintances' slaves be beaten to the point of unconsciousness only to never wake up again.

There's a commotion somewhere off in the distance, battle cries echoing and even the occasional clash of steel on steel, but it only rings faintly in Ryeowook's ears, all of his attention focused on Jongwoon. Even the man who was attending to the other injured isn't able to get through to him, seeing the panic take over. It feels like hours that Ryeowook tries but Jongwoon doesn't wake, barely breathing as it is.

Finally there's a victorious cry somewhere close, the thought of _when did they get that close?_ briefly crossing Ryeowook's mind, and the sound of thumping footsteps draw ever nearer. Excited chatter crescendos as Sungmin's group breaks through the tree line, halting in their tracks with wide eyes as they see the devastation caused by the dynamite.

"Let me through, let me _through_ ," a familiar voice shouts as he pushes through the group, Sungmin stopping dead at the sight of Ryeowook trying frantically to wake Jongwoon. His heart stops as he realizes Ryeowook is completely drenched in blood, _Jongwoon's_ blood, and he rushes forward to kneel beside the two of them. "Dear Luzo, Ryeowook, how did this happen?!"

“Dynamite happened,” Ryeowook says shakily, unable to even bring himself to tear his eyes from Jongwoon as he redoubles his efforts to wake the other man up, praying as hard as he can that Jongwoon won’t be taken from him, not after they’ve come so far. “He and the men apparently stumbled upon a lit fuse and by the time they realized it...it was too late. Jongwoon, he’s the only one like this though. God, Sungmin what am I supposed to _do_.”

Sungmin takes a shuddering, calming breath, trying his best not to let his panic overtake him. "Calm down, Ryeowook. Jongwoon isn't going to die, okay? We won't let that happen. Jungsu is with Henry's group right now, tending to the wounded over there. No, he wasn't hurt," he adds, when Ryeowook's head snaps up, "but some of my people weren't as lucky. Jungmo's brother is pretty bad off, a couple others. We took out a few of the miners too, when they turned hostile. We tried to be diplomatic, explaining things, but...."

“They’ve left then?” Ryeowook breathes, at least thankful that they managed to achieve what they set out for, and that Henry is okay. It still doesn’t change the fact that none of that will matter if Jongwoon dies though, and as quickly as Sungmin had his attention he loses it again, Ryeowook’s eyes going right back to Jongwoon as his voice edges on hysteria. “And he needs Jungsu here _now_ , do you see all this blood? He needs medical attention, I can’t even get him to wake up, don’t you dare tell me everything is going to be okay just like that!”

"It will be, though," Sungmin replies fiercely. "There isn't another option. I refuse to think of the alternative, because if I do, then I've given up on him. He _will_ be okay. There's just no arguing that." His eyes shine with determination, but Ryeowook sees the fear behind the mask. "I told Jungsu to follow when he was finished but there were a lot of people hurt, Ryeowook. It'd probably be faster if we took him to Jungsu, I don't know how long it'll be before he gets here."

“Okay,” Ryeowook says softly, trying to grab hold of some sense of calm again and keeping his death grip on Jongwoon’s hand, taking a shaky breath to try and get his wits again. He looks up to Sungmin to try and get him to help him with Jongwoon, moving the unconscious man gently. “Get over here and help me with him then, we’ll take him over, I want to get him some help as fast as possible. Watch his head, he keeps lolling it around and there’s a bad gash on the back of it.”

Sungmin shakes his head, hands fumbling for the blade around his belt. "We can't drag him between us, that'll jostle him too much. Help me get him on my back, I'll carry him, you're too much shorter than him." Ryeowook wants to protest but he knows Sungmin is right, helping to hitch Jongwoon on Sungmin's back once the dark-haired man has tossed his sword into the snow. Once Sungmin is upright, arms tucked in a tight grip under Jongwoon's thighs, he nods at Ryeowook and sets off. The younger man pauses only to grab Sungmin's blade before following.

“Time to finally repay the favor, huh, Jongwoon?” Sungmin mumbles to himself, knowing that Jongwoon won’t reply but starkly remembered of so long ago when Jongwoon carried him on his back. He might be putting on a decent show for Ryeowook, but he’s terrified inside, genuinely unsure if his friend is going to make it at this point, but hoping more than anything that he will be. The thought quickens his pace, and he prays that Jungsu isn’t too far off and that he’ll be able to do something for Jongwoon. “It’s about time, isn’t it?”

Ryeowook hears Sungmin mumbling something about repaying a favor and can't help the curiosity that is piqued, wondering what situation like this the two found themselves in before. He shakes his head of this thought, knowing it's none of his business and that there are more pressing matters at hand. They come across some of the other villagers who are gathering near the hidden entranceway, pausing to ask them if they've seen Jungsu anywhere, and wasting no time in following their directions off into the trees in the other direction.

It’s tense between them as they look for Jungsu, Sungmin hauling Jongwoon on his back and Ryeowook glancing at the unconscious man constantly, wringing his hands around the sheath of Sungmin’s sword. He nearly sobs when Jungsu finally comes into sight, sitting on a rock and binding the arm of one of the villagers, giving him stern instructions as he splints the appendage. Ryeowook runs ahead as Jungsu is free, trying frantically to inform him of their situation so Jongwoon can get help as soon as possible.

Jungsu's eyes widen as he sees the state Jongwoon is in, Sungmin rushing to catch up with Ryeowook as quickly as he can without hurting Jongwoon. Sungmin does not like the unadulterated fear that is in the healer's eyes as he takes a brief look at Jongwoon's head, before moving so that he can see both Ryeowook and Sungmin's faces. "Which one of you were there when it happened?"

“Neither of us were,” Sungmin says quickly, laying Jongwoon down gently in front of Jungsu, the healer’s face expressionless as he gives Jongwoon a quick once over, Ryeowook looking more terrified the longer Jungsu’s silence lasts. “We were both off with our groups, but the men say he was blown away by a dynamite explosion and hit his head, by the time I got there he was already out cold and like this.”

"He was still conscious for a bit when I got there," Ryeowook adds before Jungsu can ask him. "He couldn't focus on anything or hold his head up, and he kept insisting that he was fine but his speech was all slurred. He passed out while I was trying to get him to focus." Jungsu nods as he sheds his outer shirt, carefully sitting Jongwoon up to wrap him in it. Sungmin and Ryeowook both do the same, and a few of the other men offer theirs too, for makeshift bandanges.

“He’s definitely got a concussion,” Jungsu finally says, binding Jongwoon’s head where the cut is to try and lessen the flow of blood, another cushioning his neck. Jongwoon hardly moves though, and Ryeowook would hardly think he was still alive if not for the faint rise and fall of his chest. “And that cut will need sewn up, we don’t want it to get infected while we’re out were, he needs to be back in the infirmary. I can’t tell you what else is wrong until we’re back there, I need my tools and a better place to examine him, as soon as we can.”

"These burns on his arms and legs need to be taken care of too," Jungsu mutters, and Sungmin and Ryeowook's faces mirror each other's horror when they realized they hadn't even noticed he'd been burned. They'd been so focused on his head that they didn't even think to check him elsewhere, and Jongwoon hadn't been conscious to feel any pain he might have felt while Sungmin had carried him. Ryeowook's eyes fill with tears again as Sungmin curses.

“We’ll need to get him to my house,” Jungsu says again, more forcefully, speaking directly at Sungmin and Ryeowook. He finally seems to notice just how distressed the two look, and smiles weakly at them, brushing Jongwoon’s hair away from his face and checking the other parts of his head again. “I have some things I can treat him with there, and his head needs seeing to immediately. Everything else can wait, unless there’s someone out there that’s more injured, we can go now.”

Sungmin swallows and nods, and Ryeowook merely worries his lower lip, helping Jungsu get Jongwoon back on Sungmin's back and brushing the cold snow off of him where he'd been lying down. If there's one blessing about the whole situation, is that the snow seems to have stemmed the bleeding slightly. He hears Jungsu ordering all others who need medical attention who can walk to follow, and asking any able body to assist those who can't walk, but all his attention is on how absolutely still Jongwoon is. _I should have never left him for a second,_ he thinks bitterly, cursing himself. _This is all my fault_.

“Don’t,” Sungmin says softly, plugging ahead with Jongwoon on his back but turning his head slightly, locking eyes with Ryeowook. Ryeowook has to blink for a moment before realizing he must have spoken out loud, cursing more and wondering if he’s completely going insane, trying to keep grips with himself, thinking _get a hold of yourself, Jongwoon is still alive_. “You can’t think like that, Ryeowook. We all did what we thought was right, no one is to blame. We just need to focus on getting him to the infirmary and working from there, hopefully everything will turn out okay.”

"What happened to the _everything will definitely be okay_ ," Ryeowook mumbles as they reach the secret entrance, the rest of the village men gathered and already starting to make their way back down. There are cries of upset as some of them see Jongwoon, exclaims of worry and fright surrounding them all as they part to let the four of them pass before anyone else goes though. Sungmin is extraordinarily careful as he treads down the tunnel, treacherous rock threatening to upend him with just one misstep.

“Stop being a smartass and help me,” Sungmin grumbles, Ryeowook quickly grabbing hold of his arm to help steady him and lead him along the rocky path, knowing it would be bad if Sungmin were to trip with Jongwoon on his back like this. Henry is close behind now too and looks horrified at the state Jongwoon is in, hanging back slightly and letting Ryeowook and Sungmin stay in the front until they get to the end of the slope. “I truly believe that Jongwoon will be okay, we need to get to Jungsu’s in one piece first though.”

Ryeowook nods and doesn't say anything more, focusing on helping Sungmin all the way in the tunnel until the ground levels out again. He hears the men ahead of them stumble, their eyes having to readjust to their darkened world, but Sungmin is as sure footed as ever as Jungsu leads the way to his house. Leaving the geysers they catch a glimpse of the two new gaping holes in the ceiling to their land, along with the reopened one over the river in the Forbidden Land, the blood orange light of the closing day streaming in. Normally, Sungmin would think such a sky beautiful -- right now, it seems like an omen.

He looks away quickly to keep from dwelling on the possible meaning of the bloody hue of the sky to keep moving, quicker now that they’re off the slope and wanting to get Jongwoon to Jungsu’s as quickly as he can. He spares a glance at Ryeowook and notices the other man isn’t in good shape either, emotional pain clear as day on his face and Sungmin wouldn’t be surprised if he passed out soon either, frown pulling harder at his lips as his mind races, Jungsu’s house coming into view.

Sungmin’s thoughts are more prayers than anything, and he wishes more than anything at that moment that Jongwoon will be okay, for all of their sakes.

_Don’t take him from us._

...

Jinseon waits until dusk, the deep orange sky filtering in through the windows of the manor and casting inky shadows in the crevices of the corridors. She's been avoiding her father all day, another one sided conversation through her bedroom door until he finally gave up for the night. She knows she only has one shot at this -- if she and Minho can't find anything incriminating then Siwon will have to return to the palace tomorrow at noon. If they do, they have an arrest warrant signed by King Yunho ready in the waiting. The kind king, with no tolerance for the abuse of power, quickly approved of their plan when he had heard of the wrongs Lord Kim had committed. But even he has a limit to where his power reaches, having to maintain his image.

She sits on her bed until she hears the knock on her door, sure that it couldn’t be anyone else but Minho this late, going to open the door and stepping out to meet her lover’s brother. His face is set squarely as he nods at her, and she gives a small smile back, turning down the hall with him close behind, ready to search for any kind of evidence they can find. They all agreed that she herself wandering around the castle like this would be trouble, and with Minho there they can cover some more ground and hopefully find what they’re looking for.

"Where should we start?" Minho asks quietly as Jinseon wraps her shawl over her head to give her some semblance of anonymity, Minho doing the same as he pulls the hood of his tunic up. Jinseon quietly pulls her bedroom door shut with a click, holding a finger up to her lips as she leads him down the hall, their feet tapping lightly on the stone floor as they walk.

“The rooms nearest to the Lord’s would be a good start, I know there are some papers littered around there that could be of help to us,” She says softly, double checking to make sure there’s no one in the corridor as they leave the wing she was staying in, Minho’s hand on his sword behind her. “We’ll need to be quick though, I know the guards like to frequent that wing, as do the slaves.”

Minho nods, trusting Jinseon's spying skills and relying on what he knows best -- his skills with a sword. Brains, cleverness... those were never his strong points. He'll gladly leave that up to Jinseon, ready to take the head off of whatever stands in her way. He makes sure to keep his eyes and ears open and moving, swiveling around so that he can see things in all directions, covering all of their bases as they creep down the corridor.

Jinseon is warier the closer they get to their destination, praying that the hall will be empty for some time as the guards don’t expect any kind of breaches there. She finally finds the door that she’s looking for, one she saw the Lord and her father enter many times while she has been in the manor, and beckons Minho to follow her in when the door opens to reveal a study of some type, large desk sitting in the center.

“Give me a moment to search around, watch the door and look out for guards,” She whispers to Minho, the man nodding seriously and peeking out the door, eyes sharp and keeping look out of the edges of the corridor, watching for anyone who might disturb their hunt. Jinseon spares only a second before approaching the desk, seeing a pile of what appear to be letters of some kind sticking out of the lowest drawer, reaching out for them curiously. The handwriting on them is messy and ink is spilled on the corners, paper dried with age and showing what a hurry it had been written in.

Despite the evident haste these letters were written it, nothing in them seems to reveal anything pertinent to their case. Jinseon's brow furrows, obviously hoping that something useful could have turned up quickly, knowing that the more time they spend here the less chance they have of escaping unnoticed. But Ryeowook's tales of the cruel things this man has committed make her dig deeper into the drawer, and like God's light shines upon her she spots a meticulously hidden envelope tucked into the very back corner.

She pulls it out and unlike the others, this envelope is pristine. It's a bit thick, and she unfolds it to a stack of papers. Her eyes briefly scan each page, leafing through them as quickly as possible. On the first page is a copy of a court transcription, the murder trial and subsequent conviction of a Cho Kyuhyun; the second, a hand-written receipt of a very large sum of money. On the last page are two simple notes, written in two different hands; the first, a neat scrawl, reads _The girl must die_ , and the second note, written in a very messy scratch, is _The deed is done; be assured, the boy will hang._

“Minho!” She calls softly, eyes pouring over the rest of the document and feeling disgusted at the obvious payoff for a murder, though it is just what they need to be able to convict the Lord. _That poor boy,_ she thinks to herself, pitying the young man that had been hanged at the Lord’s will, Jinseon surmising that he was an innocent man. “Come here, I think I have what we need.”

Minho rushes over at her call, taking the proffered documents and glancing through them before nodding at her, murmuring his agreement and grabbing her hand to pull her out of the room, a bad feeling settling in his stomach and wanting to get out of there as soon as they can, fearing that the guards could be on their heads at any moment. The coast is clear when he checks the way though, and he makes haste with Jinseon in tow, wanting to get back to his brother.

They've almost escaped the manor, Minho helping Jinseon on a horse to meet Siwon back out in the camp, when they hear the unmistakable shouts of _intruders!!_ echo from nearby. Minho curses as he hands the reigns off to Jinseon to hurry up and mount the horse behind her. She figures the guards haven't seen her face or else they would have alerted her father, but this small blessing turns quickly on its heels when she sees one of the men ready a bow and take aim.

“Look out!” She cries, but it’s too late, Minho turning to look just as the arrow pierces right above his calf, hiss of air leaving his throat as he growls at Jinseon _Just go!_ , barely able to swing his leg over onto the horse as she cracks the reigns, horse setting off in a full gallop, hooves pounding against the pavement. Jinseon looks down out of the corner of her eye and sees the way blood begins to soak through Minho’s pant leg, arrow piercing through the sink completely.

Minho clutches tight to the back of her cloak, biting his knuckles to try and take his mind off the pain in his leg. The arrow digs in a little deeper with every gallop, leg hitting the horse's haunch painfully as they hurry along. Jinseon tries to ask if he's alright but he just snaps at her to hurry, the guards trying to chase them as they make a dash for the tree line.

Jinseon can feel the way Minho is trembling against her back and wants nothing more than to stop and spare him the pain of riding horseback like this, but knows she can’t as the guards are still able to close in on them. Instead she cracks the reins harder, urging the horse to go as fast as it can, Minho’s labored breathing echoing in her ear. _Please let him be okay_ , she prays, still not having seen the extent of the damage beyond the ever growing blood stain.

"Wait," Minho pants, "don't go to the camp yet, we'll lead them straight to Siwon. They can't see him or he won't be able to arrest the lord, we have to shake them off first." Jinseon looks back at him incredulously, ready to scream _you have to be joking, Minho, you're hurt!_ but one look from him stops her words in their tracks. She knows he's right, so she digs her heels into the horse, barely keeping it from rearing before changing directions, skirting around the edge of the trees.

It’s nearly a whole hour of riding, cutting paths and curving around, before they lose the sounds of the guard’s own horses and Jinseon is sure that they’ve give up. The horse is exhausted as she tries to coax it in a slow gallop back to the original camp, and Minho’s breathing is so ragged that she thinks it’s a miracle he’s even still conscious, the only sign being the winces muffled by her cloak whenever the horse stumbles. She nearly cries with relief when she recognizes how close to camp they are, urging the horse a bit further and ready to cry out for Siwon.

"You're late," Siwon calls worriedly, hearing the horse before he sees them ride into the clearing. The minute the horse and its riders break the trees he's on his feet, eyes wide and face paper white, even in the orange glow of the fire. "Dear God," he breathes, easing his younger brother down from the horse and carrying him over toward the fire. "Jinki! Jinki, get out here _now_!"

“He was shot while we were riding away,” Jinseon breathes, all but leaping off the horse after Minho is eased off, Jinki rushing out at the tone of Siwon’s voice, face turning to ash at the state Minho is in. Jinki rushes over to help Siwon with the injured young man, gingerly taking him closer to the tent and the fire so they can see his injuries and laying him out on the ground, rushing for their medical supplies. “That arrow’s been in for over an hour now, we had to go all the way around the forest to lose the guards, he needs help _now_.”

"An _hour_?" Jinki gasps, hands stilling on the injured leg. Minho whimpers as Siwon tries to tug at the leg of the trousers around the arrow, giving up with a frustrated sigh and pulling a dagger from his belt to cut the cloth away. "My god, why didn't you come straight here?"

"You know full well why," Minho spits through gritted teeth, shouting as Siwon snaps the shaft of the arrow off to reduce the danger of accidentally jostling the thing while it's still sticking out of his leg. "I'm not going to jeopardize the objective because of a flesh wound."

“You’re an idiot, that’s what you are,” Jinki grumbles, pulling away the cloth that Siwon cut and wincing at the state of the wound, tear in the skin only made worse by the jostling on the horse and arrow head stuck solidly in Minho’s skin. He hopes that the wound won’t fester but knows that time is of the essence, giving Minho the fabric to bite down as he gets ready to push it straight through. “Now put this in your mouth and grip tight, this is going to hurt.”

Minho nods tightly and Siwon grabs hold of his little brother’s hand, Jinseon watching with worry in her eyes as Jinki gets ready to do it as quickly as possible, not wanting to have to prolong the pain anymore than it needs to be. _Ready?_ Jinki mutters softly, and Minho says a tight _get on with it_ , eyes clenching shut.

Jinki pushes the arrow through with a sharp snap of the wrist, trying to get it over with as quickly as possible. Minho screams, the fabric doing little to muffle the pain as the arrowhead tears through the flesh. Jinki holds the bloody arrow up for them all to see. "It's as I thought, they use barbed arrows. If I had tried to pull this out the other way we'd have done more damage. As it is, it looks like it's torn through a tendon. You'll be lucky if you'll be able to walk at all after this, and I don't think you'll be able to walk normal ever again."

Minho’s eyes are still clenched in pain but Jinseon can see the even more pained twitch of his lips, tears beginning to slip down his cheeks. Jinki does what he can for Minho’s leg as quickly as he can, cleaning what he can and wrapping it gently to protect against infection, shooing Siwon away when he hovers too closely and having him and Jinseon leave him to his work. Minho whimpers as they go, but Jinki hushes him softly, hand pushing back sweat drenched bangs and cleaning the rest of his leg.

There's a rustling in the trees as Taemin, Kibum and Jonghyun come running, swords drawn and faces steeled for a conflict. They freeze when they see Minho and Jinki on the the far side of the camp, Jinseon leading Siwon away so that he doesn't disturb Jinki's work, and Taemin drops his sword in shock. "W-what happened? We were on patrol but we heard screaming and..."

“Minho was injured while we were escaping the manor,” Jinseon sighs tiredly, leaning against Siwon as the man glances back at his injured brother, face pained. The others gape at them and rush over to Minho, not waiting to hear anything else and flooding Jinki with questions, the eldest among them waving them away impatiently and continuing to tend to Minho.

Siwon takes a shuddering breath and turns, ducking into his tent. Jinseon casts one last glance at Minho, and decides he's in good hands for now and that Siwon needs her now. She, too, ducks into the tent, the canvas falling a few inches shy of her head. Siwon stands with his back to her, hands gripping the side of the strategy table, his shoulders trembling. "Siwon..."

“He’ll be okay, he’s strong,” She continues softly, uncurling his hands from the table gently and holding them in her own, turning him to face her as he lets her do as she pleases, mind racing with all that’s happened. “Have faith in Jinki, he’ll be able to patch him up and everything will be okay.”

“I hope so,” Siwon replies, sighing and gripping her hands tightly in his, praying that his little brother really will be okay and that he hadn’t condemned him by taking the younger man on this mission with him. He does trust Jinki though, and tries to push away darker thoughts, reining his mind back to the matter at hand. “Were the two of you able to find anything while you were there?”

Jinseon nods, reaching into her shawl and pulling out the envelope she had tucked in the folds. "There's no name on the most incriminating note, but the handwriting is the same as the signature on the transaction receipt," she explains, waiting for Siwon to look the papers over. "The name on the sender of this money is just Kim. Considering Ryeowook signs both his family name and his given name, no one can argue whose signature it is." Siwon frowns at how well she knows Ryeowook for only having really _known_ him for a week but shrugs it off.

"Whoever this Cho Kyuhyun is, there's no way he committed this crime," he murmurs, skimming the court transcript, reading over all of the testimony. "The victim, Cho Ara, that had to have been a family member. His mother maybe, or his sister. He was just a kid..." He gets to the end of the document and his eyes freeze. "Jinseon, look at this," he whispers, waving her in to read. "Cho's last words..."

“ _Don't blame yourself, Ryeowook. It's not your fault,_ " She reads quietly, eyes widening as she realizes the implications, that Ryeowook must have somehow known this boy and had been believed to be involved in this order for his death somehow. “Oh God, Ryeowook...”

“But this is what we need to be able to bring that man to justice,” Siwon nods grimly and tucks the letter away, feeling curious as to what must have happened in leading to this Kyuhyun’s death, but feeling slight relief in that this is just what they need to be able to convict Lord Kim of his crimes. “And as much as I hate it, you’ll need to go back to the manor again tonight again though, we won’t have everything ready until tomorrow. Please be careful, Jinseon.”

“I will,” She whispers, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips before smiling gently and turning to go, her horse still resting outside. Minho and the rest are gone when she passes, and she can only guess that Jinki moved him to their tent for more comfort, and prays again that he’ll be okay.

She swings up on the horse before she wastes any more time, and gallops away, sparing only one final glance at the receding fire of camp, hoping that they’ll all be able to live in peace again soon.

_Please_.

...

Jongjin frets about the barn, antsy and awaiting news from the men above them. He had woken up in his own bed, dazed and confused and briefly afraid that seeing his brother alive was all just a terribly tempting dream. But when he got out of his house, he realized it was a complete ghost town, and that everything must have happened, or at least started already. He had run to where all of the women and children were evacuated to, looking for answers, but when he got there the Elders wouldn't let him leave again.

So now he waits, Sungjin equally frenetic beside him on the floor nearest the door. At one point, three explosions rock their little shelter, eliciting panicked screams from pretty much everyone. Then, an eerie quiet follows and the feeling of dread in the pit of Jongjin's stomach steadily grows.

“What’s happening up there?” Sungjin whispers, shoulders shaking at everything that those explosions could have implied, not even wanting to think of what would happen if his brother had been near them, or if they all had failed their mission. He wants to run out and check but the elders are watching the door closely, determined to keep everyone there, and thus keep them safe.

“I don’t know,” Jongjin murmurs back, a touch of panic lacing his voice as the bad feeling grows until it’s constricting his throat, and he just _knows_ that there is something wrong, and that he needs to get out of there right this moment. “But I’m not going to sit here and wait to find out, I’m going to find out what’s happening, it’s something bad, I know it. Cover for me, Sungjin?”

Sungjin looks ready to refuse him for a moment before he sees the raw panic in his friend’s eyes, and knows that he’s simply terrified for Jongwoon. It’s not that he doesn’t fear for Sungmin as well, but he knows his brother will be all right, that he has to be. So he simply sighs and mutters _fine_ , hoping that Jongjin will be able to come back quickly with only good news, or that he’ll be let go to follow after Jongjin himself. Jongjin nods and sends him a grateful look, and Sungjin gets up to distract one of the elders while he slips unnoticed out of the barn.

He silently sends Sungjin his thanks as he slips out of the barn, still no wiser to where the entrance to this other world is. The women knew nothing -- they'd already been held in the barn when it had been found apparently -- and the Elders refused to say. So he spends a good amount of time scouring the edges of what he now knows are cavern walls for any sign of the entrance way.

It's when he hears the murmur of men that he feels his heart begin to race, taking off in a sprint to follow the sound. He finally comes upon the geysers, rounding the corner to see men loitering around and filing in from a tunnel. Jongjin frantically scours the crowd but sees no sign of his brother, or Sungmin or even that Ryeowook, but he makes a beeline for the one named Henry when he spies his sandy hair amongst the sea of black.

“Henry!” He calls as he approaches, the man seeming to try and maintain some kind of order among the men who had gone up to the surface. He turns to look as Jongjin approaches, and the almost pained look that comes over Henry’s face when he sees Jongjin makes that feeling rear back up again in Jongjin’s stomach, knowing for sure that something is wrong. “What’s happened? Where’s my brother?”

“Everything with the miner’s has been taken care of,” Henry says softly when Jongjin skids to a stop in front of him. Henry bites his lip as he really doesn’t want to have to be the one to tell the boy this news, but sees no other way and tries to say it as gently as possible. “Your brother is at Jungsu’s house, he...he was injured in those blasts you probably heard down here.”

Jongjin feels like his heart grinds to a screeching halt and shatters on the floor. "Wh-what?" he stutters, barely able to breathe. The news has slammed him in the chest and literally winds him. "How bad?" Henry shakes his head sadly and Jongjin feels much like passing out again.

"I... really can't say," Henry replies slowly. "I didn't see it happen, and it was too dark to see the damage done when I caught up with them in the tunnel. Sungmin asked me to stay here and make sure all the other injured made it back safe, he and Ryeowook went on to the infirmary." Jongjin nods and makes to run, but Henry catches him by the wrist. "But... he wasn't conscious. Sungmin was carrying him down."

“I’m going to him anyway, right now,” Jongjin’s eyes widen incredibly and Henry nearly winces, but he wanted Jongjin to be prepared for what he might see when he gets there, though he prays with all his might that the eldest among them will be back up and well again soon. He sighs and lets go of Jongjin’s wrist as the younger gets increasingly agitated, and Jongjin nods his thanks before rushing off in the direction of Jungsu’s house, Henry’s gaze lingering for only a moment before turning back to the men to try and calm them down.

Jongjin all but sprints the way to Jungsu’s house, nearly tripping at the speed he’s going and he bursts in the door to find Jungsu tending to one of the men’s shoulders, Sungmin leaning against a nearby wall with his eyes closed and Ryeowook and his brother nowhere to be found. Sungmin makes no move but Jungsu looks up at him tiredly, sighing and sending the bandaged man in front of him out before addressing Jongjin.

"He's not doing well, Jongjin," Jungsu states grimly without preamble, and Jongjin has to swallow the lump in his throat. "He cracked his head really hard, I had to stitch it up. Luckily his skull wasn't fractured but from what symptoms Ryeowook told me he has a nasty concussion. He's got second degree burns all down his arms and legs, as well. I've bandaged him up, but we'll need to make sure none of those get infected, that could spell the end of him."

“Oh Luzo,” Jongjin whispers, terrified that now that he finally has his brother back in his life he’ll have to watch him leave it again, this time for good. It almost sends his mind reeling, but he knows that he has to keep some kind of calm, for Jongwoon at least. “Where is he? Can I see him now?”

“He’s in the closed off room of the infirmary, but don’t expect him to be conscious,” Jungsu says hesitantly, and Sungmin finally looks up from where he’s standing, eyes looking nervous almost. Jongjin barely notices though, focused only on being able to see his brother. “You can see him if you’d like though. Ryeowook is in there now, but if you know I’m sure that he’ll let you in.”

Jongjin simply nods and hurries down the corridor to the back room, intent on seeing his brother to make sure that he's at least still alive. He almost barges right into the room without a second thought, but the door is slightly ajar when he reaches is and the sound of someone sobbing makes him stop in his tracks. He pauses with his hand on the handle, heart yearning to see his brother but conscience telling him he shouldn't interrupt just yet.

He opens the door just a hair more, head peeking in the side and eyes widening as he realizes it’s Ryeowook sobbing, tears streaming down the man’s cheeks as he sits by Jongwoon’s bedside, hands clutching the other man’s and holding it close to his face. Jongjin is relieved to see his brother still alive at least, though he can tell the critical condition he’s in just from a glance, and is about to walk in anyway when Ryeowook starts to speak, voice shaky and brimming with emotion.

"Jongwoon, please," Ryeowook hiccups between sobs, reaching a trembling hand forward and lightly brushing the hair that sticks out of the bandage out of Jongwoon's face. "You said no one was going to die. You promised me, you said _I'm in it for the long run_. You... I..." Ryeowook chokes on his tears, sniffing loudly and making a half-hearted attempt to swipe at his tears before his hand latches to Jongwoon's again. "I love you, Jongwoon, so much. You can't leave me here alone."

Jongjin’s eyes widen and his mouth goes nearly slack listening to Ryeowook speak, seeing the obvious love the other man holds for his brother shining in his eyes, and it’s a complete shock to him, he’d never even considered Jongwoon would end up with another man, let alone Ryeowook. He swallows past the lump in his throat and decides to leave any kind of judgement aside, he could care less who his brother loves and who loves him as long as he is _alive_ and prays as hard as he can to Luzo that he won’t take Jongwoon from him, so soon after they were reunited. He decides against going in though, sure that Ryeowook wouldn’t want anyone to see him like this, and closes the door softly, one more _Please don’t leave me here all alone_ following him out.

He speeds out of the infirmary without a backward glance, ignoring the looks he gets from Sungmin and Jungsu as he slams the door behind him on the way out. His first thought is to go back to the barn and tell the Elders that everyone is back, that the situation has been taken care of. But no matter how hard he tries to collect himself the image of his brother, lying broken and frail in the bed haunts him and the tears overwhelm him faster than he can hold them off.

So he runs straight to his house, unsure of whether his parents will be back or not but not caring at this point. As soon as he gets inside the door he leans against it, the sobs bubbling out of his throat like a fountain.

He slides down the door and just cries.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A scare, a decision, and a conclusion.

It’s late by the time everyone is organized again, Henry eventually having calmed the men enough to send them back to their families, trying his best to explain everything that happened in lieu of Sungmin being gone. The elders accept his explanation grimly but are at least happy that their miner problem seems to have been at least stalled, and Henry excuses himself politely to go to Jungsu’s, finding Sungmin there and eventually convincing him to go back to his house, Jongwoon still unconscious and Ryeowook by his side.

"Ryeowook won't come with us," Sungmin murmurs when Henry makes to go back to the back room. "He refuses to leave his side, I've already tried." Sungmin looks much older than his age as he tiredly pulls himself up from Jungsu's sofa, Sulli bidding them goodnight even as Henry tries to protest _But Ryeowook needs his rest, too..._

“Like you were any better when I was sick,” Sungmin shrugs, and Henry can tell that the older man has simply given up on this, letting Henry lead him out of the house and back towards his own. Henry doesn’t bother arguing, because he knows Sungmin is right, he only hopes that Jongwoon will wake up soon, if not for simply Ryeowook’s sake, then for all of them. Their walk back is filled with only thick silence, Sungmin off in his own world as Henry nods to Sungjin when they’re inside, continuing to push Sungmin off to his bedroom.

"My father is probably out dealing with the other Elders right now," Sungmin mutters as he falls face down into his pillow, Henry sitting down lightly on the mattress next to him, rubbing circles on his back. The two just sit like that, Sungmin almost attempting to smother himself with his pillow while Henry sits comfortingly at his side. It's when Henry hears the sniffle that he sighs. 

"He's going to be okay, Sungmin," he whispers, moving his hand up to stroke the back of Sungmin's head. "You know Jongwoon, he's strong. He'll pull through this." Sungmin lifts his face up from the pillow and takes a deep breath, turning his head to the side facing away from Henry, mumbling something that Henry doesn't catch, and the younger boy frowns.

“What was that?” Henry murmurs, leaning over Sungmin and trying to catch the older man’s eyes, but he keeps them averted. It stings a bit to Henry, but he pushes the feeling away and sighs, waiting for Sungmin to open up for him again in his own time, hand falling to rub circles on his back again.

“This is my fault,” Sungmin finally says softly, still not looking at Henry but speaking up a bit, sighing as the warmth from Henry’s hand seeps through his shirt. No matter how he plays the scenario in his head, he knows that he could have prevented what happened to Jongwoon, no one should have gone that close to the wall anyway, if he’d just stopped it... “I could have prevented all this, I know it. If he doesn’t wake up then I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”

"Sungmin, stop it," Henry chastises sternly, hand stilling on Sungmin's back. "There was no way we could have known that they'd have the dynamite set up that quickly. We were all blindsided, it couldn't have been helped." Sungmin doesn't say anything but his silence tells Henry that the man is unconvinced, so sure that his faulty leadership was what caused Jongwoon to end up like this. Henry frowns and, with a surprising amount of strength, Henry flips the man over so that they're eye to eye.

"Hey," he says sternly. "When I was down in those dungeons, there was a moment, before you found me, that I thought for sure I was going to die. But then you _did_ find me, and it was your strength that helped me hold on. And I know Jongwoon was strong for you, I know you, you were probably a mess. So in a way, I owe my life to him too. He needs all the strength we can give him. So quit wasting energy on beating yourself up when it isn't your fault, and start being his strength. Don't you dare give up on him."

“I’m not giving up on him,” Sungmin bites out, bright eyes staring into Henry’s as he lets the younger man keep him flipped over, sighing heavily and trying to re organize his thoughts, not even wanting to consider the possibility of Jongwoon dying. “I’m just _terrified_ of what could happen, I hate the uncertainty, it’s eating a hole in my stomach because of all the _what ifs_ and I just don’t know what to do with myself.”

“Sungmin,” Henry sighs, moving his hand to wipe the tears that gather at the corner of Sungmin’s eyes, wanting to be able to help the other man but not quite sure how. He settles for leaning his forehead down against Sungmin’s, reaching to intertwine their fingers. “I know, I know exactly how you feel. But you need to calm down, sitting here worrying isn’t going to do anything for any of our problems, and you and I both know that Jongwoon wouldn’t want you to be sitting here and drown in the ‘what ifs’. Just try not to worry so much, okay? We’ve done all we can for today, just get some rest.”

"And quit blaming yourself. You did nothing wrong. If anything, you've saved your town because all of the explosions ended up over the Forbidden Land," Henry soothes, squeezing Sungmin's hand and pressing a kiss to Sungmin's head. They both hear the door open and Henry sighs, pulling himself from Sungmin, earning a soft whine from the older man. "Sleep now, Sungmin. We'll go see Jongwoon tomorrow."

“Fine,” Sungmin sighs, exhaustion finally hitting him full force as all the day’s events begin taking their toll, adrenaline finally ebbing away. He’s tired, mentally and physically, and wants nothing more than to fall asleep with Henry in his arms and wake up to everything being alright again, for Jongwoon to be alive and well, for all of this to be put behind them. But he knows things aren’t that easy, for either. “Can’t we just ignore whatever my family would think and sleep here together?”

"We're walking a tightrope as it is, and you know it," Henry says quietly, collapsing onto the cold floor, something he's quite used to even though he hasn't had to in a long time. "Your father may have come round about us not being a threat, but I'd rather not give him a reason to consider me a demon again. We'll be able to..." he trails off, the thought about the future hitting him like a brick. Now that they've chased off the miners and Sungmin is back on speaking terms with his family.... now what?

“After all this is over?” Sungmin says softly, feeling the same as Henry in terms of the future, not having any idea of where it’s heading. He lost all known plans of what his life would be like the moment that Henry and Ryeowook fell into their lives, and thinks that it’s no use starting to try again now. He just hopes that everything will be able to turn out in their favor, thinking _Luzo knows we’ve suffered enough just to get where we are now_. He moves and gets some of his blankets for Henry, handing them to him and catching Henry’s hand again before he pulls away, holding it tightly, trying for a lighter tone. “We’ll figure it out as we go, don’t worry. We’ll have to, I don’t think I’ll last long without you next to me.”

Henry flashes him a tired smile, not showing how relieved he is that Sungmin feels the same way. He lays out the blanket underneath him, much more comfortable than just the cold stone. Sungmin leans over the mattress and drapes the second spare blanket over him when he's comfortable and strokes his hair affectionately. "You get some rest now too, Henry," he says quietly. Henry nods and lays back, using his arms as pillows. 

_Jongwoon will be okay,_ he assures himself as exhaustion drags him under. _He will._

...

Ryeowook wakes up feeling like he hasn’t slept a wink, hand still gripping Jongwoon’s in a death grip and ready to start crying again when he sees that Jongwoon is still out cold, Jungsu standing over him to examine his condition. Ryeowook blinks up at the healer tiredly and pleads at him with his eyes for any updates, but Jungsu simply shrugs, sympathetic look in his eyes saying everything, but Ryeowook is glad at least for no more bad news, praying that his lover will wake up soon.

"Go back to sleep," Jungsu says quietly, wringing out the rag that he had been using to wipe down Jongwoon's burns, fresh roll of bandages sitting on the side table. "The waking hour hasn't come yet, you still have time before everyone wakes. If everyone wakes. I doubt the Elders are much worried about the tasks that are usually done, everyone is still recuperating from the attack."

“You can hardly call it sleep,” Ryeowook whispers, swallowing hard and beginning to get that terrible feeling in his stomach, bile nearly rising in his throat as he stares at Jongwoon’s burns. The skin is red and shiny and it all looks incredibly painful, and for a moment Ryeowook is almost glad that Jongwoon isn’t awake, so that he doesn’t have to feel the pain of it. “It’s all filled with nightmares anyway. At least this way I know what’s real and what isn’t. Besides, I want to be awake when he wakes up.”

"I'll wake you, then," Jungsu says, not looking at Ryeowook but at his task. "I'm a healer, Ryeowook, you can't expect me to let you sit here and destroy yourself waiting for something that may take hours, days. Sleep," he orders sternly , and Ryeowook bites his tongue. Jungsu finally looks up, and nods his head in a gesture. "There's a bed there you can lie in. If anything changes, I promise you'll be the first to know." 

Ryeowook is ready to protest but Jungsu gives him a glare that frightens him, oddly reminiscent of a mother scolding her child. "Besides, I can't very well work with you tying up his hand like that. If you want him to get well, I have to have the room to patch him up."

“I just don’t want to leave him,” Ryeowook says softly, reluctantly letting Jongwoon’s hand slip through his fingers as the only thing that he wants less than to leave the other man is to somehow impede his healing process. He gets up slowly and brushes the hair away from Jongwoon’s forehead as he talks, honestly unable to care less if the entire village works out their relationship at this point. “You can see what happened the last time I wasn’t with him... I’m just terrified of losing him, you must understand.”

"Of course I do. I'm not blind, Ryeowook, I know how much he means to you," Jungsu says quietly, hands stilling for a moment before moving on to Jongwoon's right leg, systematically working around the burns. "Believe me, I know what it's like to lose someone. After something like that, you become paranoid and overprotective of the ones you still have left. But you can't let fear rule you... I learned that the hard way."

“I just can’t even think about losing him again,” Ryeowook whispers, thumb moving to stroke the skin around Jongwoon’s eyes, smoothing away the creases. He can guess what Jungsu is referring to, but even the mere thought of having to live without Jongwoon again, after getting so close to being able to simply live as they like, is nearly unbearable, heart pounding in his chest. “I came so close to it already, when it was my own fault, I just can’t believe that God would take him from me like this. I have had to go through this once already under different circumstances, I won’t be able to go through it again, I can tell you that much.”

Jungsu sighs, and puts his tools down, standing and moving around the bed to look Ryeowook in the eye. "Ryeowook, if there is one thing that I've learned in my life, it's that you cannot hold on to the past. It's done, and it's impossible to change. I nearly let the death of my wife destroy me, because it was my fault she got pregnant, we fooled around even though I knew her body couldn't handle a baby. I felt so guilty and I couldn't stop thinking how I was irresponsible and shouldn't be a father. But in the end, I realized that I was all Sulli had left. I had to be there for her, because no one else would be."

“You had someone to _be there_ for,” Ryeowook insists, having to fight back tears again, but he doesn’t want to look weak again in front of Jungsu, forcing them back. He breaks Jungsu’s gaze to stare down at Jongwoon’s face, looking deceivingly peaceful, and he misses the way Jongwoon’s breath seems to slow even more as he speaks. “I have no family to speak of, and Henry and Sungmin already have each other. Who do you suppose I have to be there for? Who else is there?”

"I can't answer that question for you, Ryeowook," Jungsu answers, a little frustrated that his point isn't getting across. "All I'm saying is, you can't let your decisions, however bad they may have been, rule your decisions about the present. Learn from your mistakes and move on. Because the Jongwoon that _is_ , the one here and now, needs you. Not the one that may or may not be. You have to hold yourself together, for his sake. And pushing yourself to the brink of exhaustion will not help. I promise, if anything happens, I will wake you. Now go back to sleep."

“Fine,” Ryeowook sighs, sensing that he won’t win this argument, giving a withering glare at Jungsu. He leans down and presses his forehead to Jongwoon’s for a moment, praying as hard as he can before letting Jungsu lead him to the spare bed. He’s nearly out the moment that he hits the pillow, but is still conscious enough to mutter loud enough for Jungsu to hear him. “I’ll hold you to that promise.”

"Absolutely," Jungsu says, pulling the blankets back over the young man. He sighs as sleep takes Ryeowook nearly immediately and sighs softly. "Love really is a powerful thing. Mysterious, and unpredictable, but very powerful..." He turns back to Jongwoon, still unresponsive as ever and chest moving so shallowly that it's almost still. "Let's get you patched back up, so you can wake."

Time passes slow as Jungsu tends to all of Jongwoon’s wounds, replacing his bandages and applying salve where he can, checking the cut on the back of the man’s head and thankful that infection hasn’t set in at least. He cleans him well before giving him one more once over and deciding he’s done as best he can for now, glancing over to where Ryeowook still lay sound asleep before going to pour himself a cup of tea.

He's exhausted himself, as well, and he feels a bit hypocritical for not listening to his own advice earlier. He knows he's tired, and mistakes are made when he's tired. But a nagging feeling sits heavy on the pit of his stomach, making him wary to go to bed, like something might happen while he is asleep. He's frowning into his tea when he feels a blanket drape around his shoulders.

"I'll watch him, Father," Sulli offers kindly. "I slept a lot when we were evacuated, I'm rested and can tare care of him while you rest. If there's an emergency that I can't handle, I'll fetch you right away. But I can't see what would, I learned my healing from the best teacher," she adds with small smile.

“Alright,” Jungsu sighs, knowing it’s showing better judgement to get some rest, but there’s still that nagging feeling that tells him he shouldn’t. He brushes it off as Ryeowook’s lingering worry rubbing off on him, and goes to lay down on the couch, knowing that Sulli should have enough skills to handle anything that should arise, and knows when to come get him. “Come get me if you see any sign of something unusual, we have quite a lot of people waiting for him to wake.”

“I will, just get some rest,” Sulli smiles brightly, and Jungsu smiles back, suddenly so reminded of her mother. He only hopes that Ryeowook will be able to remember his advice if the worst should come to pass, though he prays it won’t, closing his eyes slowly as Sulli goes to keep watch over Jongwoon, hearing her hum a tune under her breath.

Sulli settles down into the chair that Ryeowook had vacated, bringing with her a basket filled with yarn. The room is quiet save for the quiet click of her knitting needles and Ryeowook soft snores behind her. Every once in a while she looks up, pitying eyes falling on the form of the man she treated like a brother growing up, praying to Luzo that he comes out of this before resuming her knitting. 

Ryeowook stirs a little when the waking hour tolls but does not wake, shifting over onto his other side before falling back into an restless sleep. Sulli sighs and sets her needles aside, standing to tuck the blankets Ryeowook had kicked off back around him. The poor man's face is scrunched tight, no doubt the stress affecting the quality of his sleep, and she gently hums a soft tune until the creases in his face smooth out.

“Sleep a bit more,” She whispers to Ryeowook, knowing what a mess the man has been the entire day, and knowing how much he needs this rest. She lingers only a moment longer before returning to her needles and chair, about to sit down when she notices how eerily still Jongwoon is, eyes widening as she feels around his neck, trying desperately to find his pulse, panicking more by the moment.

“Father!” She calls, urgency dripping off her voice, nearly screaming as she hears her father come running, knowing it’s only a couple seconds at best before he’s in the room, but it feels like hours. He sees her hysteria and his face blanches, immediately rushing to Jongwoon’s side cursing under his breath as he examines the man’s state, moving quickly and calling out orders to Sulli.

Jungsu immediately has Sulli help him move Jongwoon to the floor, the mattress having too much give for them to start first aid. Sulli cradles Jongwoon's head, making sure it doesn't smack against the cold stone of the floor as her father compresses his chest, keeping time by counting under his breath. "Ryeowook!" he yells over the bed. "Ryeowook, wake up and help us!" 

Ryeowook all but flies out of bed at his name being called, somehow not hearing Sulli's panicked yell to begin with. His eyes widen at the state Jongwoon is in, mind freezing before the thoughts hit him that _Oh God it's really happening I'm going to lose him oh god please no_ , when Jungsu's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. "Hold yourself together! I need your help, get over here!"

Ryeowook has to fight to keep his mind from shutting down entirely, moving almost mechanically as he falls next to Jongwoon’s side on the ground, the older man already pumping Jongwoon’s chest, face set in calm determination as he relies on his medical training. Ryeowook looks like a deer in the headlights as he barks orders at him, and he’s sure that the man is near minutes from losing it, almost looking like he’s about ready to pass out himself.

“Listen to me, Ryeowook,” He says quickly, counting his pumps and knowing he’s getting to the end of the first round, hoping to Luzo that Ryeowook is really paying attention to what he’s saying. “We can still save him, stay with us here. When I finish pumping his chest you need to give him two deep breaths from mouth to mouth, we need to get his heart restarted.”

Ryeowook nods, barely hearing the further instructions of _you have to tip his chin up and close his nose, Sulli will hold his head so that it doesn't hit the ground and rip the stitches_ over the thunderous roar of his heart pounding in his ears. As soon as Jungsu gives the signal he does as he is told, somehow able to calm his panicked breathing long enough to give Jongwoon two deep lungfuls of air. 

Jungsu quickly checks Jongwoon's wrist, cursing before starting the compressions again. Ryeowook trembles as each round passes and still they get no pulse, tears trickling down the sides of his face even as he breathes for Jongwoon. In the middle of the fifth set there's the click of the door and two startled voices shouting as they see what's going on.

"Out!" Jungsu barks, not even looking up to see the newcomers, but Ryeowook turns his head to see Sungmin and Henry frozen in the doorway. His eyes are full of tears and terror, and they see it so heartbreakingly clear before Jungsu shouts at him and he gives Jongwoon more air. "Get out, you'll just be in the way!" Jungsu yells again, frustration and fear getting the better of him.

Sungmin is frozen in shock and it’s up to Henry to steer him out of the room, closing the door again in time to see Ryeowook lean down and shakily breathe into Jongwoon’s mouth. His own eyes wide as Sungmin stands unmoving, seeming about to go into hysterics outside the door, almost falling over if not for Henry catching him quickly, righting him and turning him against the wall, looking into the older man’s panic stricken eyes as he speaks.

“Sungmin, calm down,” Henry says sharply, not quite feeling calm himself but knowing that if Sungmin breaks down here then they’ll be in even more trouble, and he tries to talk some sense into the man before it’s too late. He saw the way that Jongwoon was laying unmoving on the floor, but he refuses to give up on him until he’s completely pronounced dead, having faith in the eldest among them still. “Jongwoon isn’t dead yet, they’re going to be able to bring him back, you saw what they were doing. Come on, don’t clock out on me now.”

Sungmin is completely unresponsive, eyes wide and shining with tears that quickly begin to fall unbidden down his cheeks. "He's going to die," he breathes, shaking uncontrollably in Henry's arms. "He's going to die. Oh, Luzo, he's... he's... what will we tell Jongjin? His parents?" Henry shakes him by the shoulders but it doesn't do a thing. "He's... my best friend is dying."

“Stop acting like he’s dead!” Henry explodes, finally having enough of everything, hands moving to Sungmin’s cheeks to force him to look him dead in the eye, anger rising from the pit of his stomach. “I don’t know if any of you have noticed yet, but he’s still very much alive and I’m not going to start mourning someone who still has the chance of pulling out of this. Just _stop_ it!”

Angry tears stream down his face as he stares Sungmin down. The lost, vacant look slowly vanishes from Sungmin's eyes, replaced with with unadulterated grief and fear. Sobs quickly wrack his body and he leans forward in Henry's embrace, tears quickly staining the shoulder of his shirt. "Luzo, Henry, I'm so scared..." he shudders, and Henry feels his anger dissipating as quickly as it came.

“I know, I know,” Henry whispers, wrapping his arms tightly around Sungmin and holding the older man’s head to his shoulder, running his hands through his hair soothingly. Sungmin’s tears continue to wet his shoulder as Henry rocks them back and forth gently. “I’m scared too, it’s okay, Sungmin. But don’t give up on him just yet, it’s not over, we have to believe in him, believe in all of them.”

Sungmin nods feebly in Henry's shoulder but continues crying, and Henry sits back on his butt and scoots against the wall, pulling Sungmin against him and continuing to rock the other man. He keeps up his mantra of _he'll make it, he'll make it, I know he will_ as he strokes Sungmin's back, keeping his eye on the closed door separating them from the chaos. 

The door opens what feels like an eternity later and Sulli cautiously makes her way out. Her expression is unreadable as Henry and Sungmin both look up to her expectantly. She lets a small, shaky smile grace her face and Henry feels like the dawn has broken over the horizon after a terrible storm. "He made it," she says softly. "It was a struggle but he made it. Even woke up for a second but he's out again now. Jongwoon is a strong man, you know. He didn't give up."

“Oh thank God,” Henry breathes, feeling a weight drop off his shoulders and something like elation rising in his heart. He knows they aren’t completely over the hill, but the joy that Jongwoon could even come back from this brush with death overwhelms everything else. “See, Sungmin? He made it, he’s okay.”

“I know,” Sungmin breathes, burying his face back in Henry’s shoulder as tears slip down his cheeks anew, this time in joy. He genuinely believed that his best friend was going to die there on the floor, and a smile pulls on his lips, thanking Luzo that Jongwoon was strong enough to make it through this. He hopes that this will be the last scare that Jongwoon gives them, that he’ll be okay and recover now. Henry holds him tightly for a moment, but then his eyes turn on Sulli, another question rising in his mind. “How is Ryeowook?”

"Taking it about as well as expected," Jungsu says, appearing behind his daughter and looking extremely haggard. "I'm not going to sugar-coat this, I didn't for Ryeowook and I won't for the two of you. Of course he nearly died, and he woke for a brief moment. However until he wakes up for any duration of time I can't assess any... lasting damage. His heart was stopped for four minutes, and he didn't start breathing again for another few minutes after that. Lack of oxygen and the trauma... He's alive, thank Luzo. But it doesn't look good."

“I don’t care, we still have hope, don’t we?” Henry insists, looking Jungsu in the eye and almost daring him to disagree with him, the mere fact that Jongwoon woke up for even a second being enough for him not to give up. Jongwoon is strong, he knows that, and he will keep having faith in him until they’re absolutely certain of anything. Sungmin seems to wilt slightly, though, and Henry holds him tight. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but I won’t give up on him, he’ll wake up, I know it. I assume that Ryeowook is with him now, but will we be able to see him soon too?”

"Now, if you want," Jungsu shrugs, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "Ryeowook could use some of your optimism, he's pretty distraught right now. I'm heading over to update his family on his condition. Jongjin in particular was pretty upset, he was here earlier today."

Henry nods slowly and waits until Jungsu leaves, Sulli smiling weakly and following him, before standing and pulling Sungmin with him, thumbing away the tears on the older man’s cheeks. Sungmin manages a tiny smile and they go towards the door again, pausing only for a moment. Henry looks in first, calling out Ryeowook’s name softly and spotting his friend standing with his back to them, bent close to Jongwoon.

"Ryeowook, it's us... Are you okay?" Henry calls softly, feeling like he's the glue holding all of them together right now. Ryeowook doesn't even look up from his bedside vigil, fingers clenched tight in the sheets instead of on Jongwoon's hand like before. Henry takes a step forward, but Sungmin hangs back a little, almost as if he's too upset to see his friend like this. "Ryeowook?"

“No, no I’m not,” Ryeowook says softly, barely audible as Henry steps towards him, hands shaking where they clench the sheets, tears dripping down onto them from his cheeks. He glances up only to look at Jongwoon again, almost as if reminding himself the other man is still there, eyes focused on the subtle rise and fall of his chest. “I was so sure... I really thought I was going to lose him. He was dead, really dead there for a few minutes, it was like my blood was ice, and then he opened his eyes, he _looked_ at me. And now here we are again, God, Henry, I don’t know what to do anymore.”

"I can't take this not knowing," he whispers when Henry kneels down next to him. "I just want him to wake up and be perfectly fine and put this all behind us. But you heard what Jungsu said, there could be something totally wrong with him and we won't know it until he wakes up and--" he stops dead when Henry take him by the shoulders much the same way he did with Sungmin earlier.

"Stop it," Henry says again, this time to Ryeowook. "He's _going_ to wake up, he's _going_ to be fine. We have to believe in that." Ryeowook stares at Henry with wide eyes, seeing the conviction about the younger boy and wishing so desperately that he could feel it too. Then Henry moves one hand from his shoulder and loosens one of Ryeowook's hands from the sheets, holding it tight. Henry moves and holds out his other hand for Sungmin to take. "We're going to pray, to God or Luzo or whoever will listen. They won't be so cruel as to take the life of such a good man so soon."

“Okay,” Ryeowook whispers, holding tight to Henry’s hand and hearing more than seeing Sungmin join them. It’s silent for a moment before Henry begins to pray for them, voice soft and calming some of Ryeowook’s nerves. Eventually he closes his eyes and begins to pray himself, hoping more than anything that things will turn out alright and that what Henry believes so fervently in will come true. He loosens his hand from the sheets and gropes for where Jongwoon’s still rests still on the bed, clutching it again and hoping that some of these prayers will reach him.

...

The first thing that registers in Jongwoon's mind is the sheer amount of _pain_ that jolts through every part of him with even the slightest movement. He fights himself to hold as still as he possibly can, and wracks his brain for what the hell is going on. He tries backtracking through his memory, but the last thing he remembers is finding the sealed entrance, and Sungmin splitting them up into groups and then.... nothing. It's just a big black spot in his memory.

His eyes flutter open and he has to strain them against the light that filled the room, noticing first the bandages that litter his body, and he wonders again what the hell it was that happened to him in the first place. He tries to sit up for a moment but the movement brings protest from his head, brain almost feeling sloshy in his head. The next thing he notices is Ryeowook, passed out asleep with his head resting on the blankets. He reaches over to shake him, hoping Ryeowook will know what’s happened to him, forcing his voice to croak out _Ryeowook, wake up_.

The younger man takes a good moment to wake up, blearily rubbing the sleep out of his eyes before he realizes just who it is that is waking him up. "Oh my God, Jongwoon," Ryeowook breathes, all but leaping to his feet and leaning in the cradle the older man's face between his hands. Tears of relief immediately spring to his eyes and he gently thumbs the apples of Jongwoon's cheeks. "Oh thank God, you're awake. I thought... I thought for sure I was going to lose you," he sobs, barely containing his hysterics so as not to frighten Jongwoon.

"What happened?" Jongwoon rasps, his voice scratchy and throat dry. "We still have to stop the miners, why am I here?" Ryeowook's relieved smile falters a little, eyes searching Jongwoon for any sign of him joking, but Jongwoon is blinks at him in confusion. "Ryeowook, what's going on?"

"You... don't remember?" Ryeowook asks softly, and Jongwoon shakes his head shallowly, wincing at the slight pain that comes from the movement. Ryeowook bites his lip and homes this isn't the preamble to something terrible to be wrong with Jongwoon, but he's still overwhelmed with relief that he's even awake, hands still stroking his cheeks. "The miners are gone, Jongwoon. You've been unconscious for _days_ , there was an explosion, and yesterday your heart stopped even... I thought you were going to die."

Jongwoon blinks incredulously as Ryeowook speaks, drawing a blank for everything the younger man says, a hazy memory of feeling blood on his head the only thing that comes back to him. He knwos what Ryeowook says is the truth though, his lover shaking almost violently as he talks, eyes clenched shut as more tears slip out. Slowly, Jongwoon moves his hand to pull one of Ryeowook's away from his face, holding it loosely, trying to get Ryeowook to look him in the eye again.

"Hey," he says as loudly as he can manage (which isn't very loud at all), and Ryeowook opens his eyes, bright and teary to meet Jongwoon's cloudy gaze. "I told you I wouldn't die, didn't I?" He half attempts a smirk, which ends up as more of a painful wince as even the muscles in his face hurt when he moves. Ryeowook lets out a breathy chuckle, sniffling loudly and hastily wiping the tears away.

"Yeah. Yeah, you did," he replies quietly, lacing his fingers around Jongwoon's hand that still loosely holds his, rubbing his thumb up and down the back of his palm. "But you _were_ dead, for a few minutes. Next time try not to get that far, okay? You scared me."

“I don’t know what I would do without you,” Ryeowook continues, voice a bare whisper as he brings the hand connected to Jongwoon’s to his lips, gently kissing the back of it. He almost doesn’t want to tell Jongwoon how downright terrified he was when he saw him lying there on the ground, virtually dead. “You nearly gave me a heart attack myself, I was so sure... I never want to have to feel that again. I’m just thankful you’re awake now.”

“I’m sorry,” Jongwoon says seriously, eyes softening as he sees the residual fear still present in Ryeowook’s eyes and beginning to grasp how bad off he really was, to have scared Ryeowook this much. “I didn’t mean to scare you so much, Ryeowook. But I meant it when I told you I’m in this for the long run, it’ll take a bit more than death to keep me from coming back to you.”

Ryeowook takes a shuddering breath as Jongwoon's words sink in, and he continues to cling to Jongwoon's hand like this is a cruel dream that he'll wake up from at any minute. The two sit like that for a few minutes, just relishing in each other's presence, until the door clicks open and Jungsu comes in. He drops the empty basket he usually puts the sullied bandanges is with a start, hurrying over to Jongwoon's bed.

"How long has he been awake?" Jungsu asks Ryeowook quickly, pushing Jongwoon's bangs aside to check for a fever and make sure no infection has set in. "And more importantly, _why didn't you come and get me right away_?"

“Only a few minutes now,” Ryeowook says quickly, and nearly wants to hit himself for having forgotten about telling Jungsu, lingering fear that something still might be wrong with Jongwoon that he can’t see coming back. His hand tightens around Jongwoon’s and Jongwoon tries to ask him what’s wrong, but he’s quickly accosted by Jungsu, the healer holding his head still so he can look in his eyes, examining his pupils. “I... I hadn’t thought of it, I was just so happy that he was awake again, everything else left my mind.”

Jungsu sighs and shakes his head, muttering something about _idiots in love_ under his breath as he has Jongwoon’s eyes follow his finger, asking him basic questions to make sure that at least a majority of his memory is intact, assuring Jongwoon and Ryeowook that it’s normal after head trauma to at least lose a chunk. It’s a stroke of luck that Jongwoon seems to be mostly normal, no other problems showing immediately, so Jungsu settles on changing Jongwoon’s bandages, having to shoo the young man away from Jongwoon’s hand again. Ryeowook doesn’t go far though, still standing close to Jongwoon and running his fingers through his hair gently.

After Jungsu finishes cleaning Jongwoon up he leaves them to themselves, telling Ryeowook that he's going to fetch Jongwoon's parents and brother and that he'll have to go to Sungmin's while they're there. He doesn't say it outright, telling the two of them that Ryeowook needs to clean up, but they both understand that while Jungsu is okay with the two of them there's no telling how his family will react. As far as they are aware, Ryeowook muses, they believe the reason he hasn't left Jongwoon's side is in penance for whatever guilt he might be feeling. Which wasn't too far from the truth at first. 

Jongwoon sighs heavily, wishing there was something that could dull the pain in his head, at least grateful for the salve that Jungsu put on his burns. "Ryeowook..." he starts hesitantly, almost afraid that the answer to his question will be something terrible. "I know I can't be the only one hurt in that explosion. Did anyone else...?" he trails off, the unsaid question obvious.

“There were other injuries in the explosion, but no one as bad as you were,” Ryeowook says softly, shuddering at the memory of Jongwoon bleeding all over the ground, the feeling of him going limp in his arms. Jongwoon’s thumb moves softly over the inside of Ryeowook’s wrist and it grounds him to the present, keeping himself from getting lost in the memory. “There are a few injuries that will take time to heal, but there’s no one else in mortal danger. Some from Sungmin’s group weren’t so fortunate though, Minwoo at least is dead.”

Jongwoon’s lips twist in a grimace as he remembers Jungmo’s brother, hoping that at least his soul is with Luzo now, saying a small prayer for him and any of the other injured. Ryeowook lingers close to Jongwoon, leaning over his bed and keeping their hands entwined, knowing that he’ll be expected to leave when Jongwoon’s family gets there but wanting to be as close to him as possible until then.

Ryeowook relishes just in the sound of Jongwoon's steady breathing, still a little labored since he woke up but much more stable now that he's conscious, closing his eyes and letting his head rest on the pillow next to Jongwoon. The older man takes the opportunity to study Ryeowook, frowning a little at the dark, puffy circles under his eyes and hair and clothes unkempt. 

Jongwoon wants to say something to Ryeowook, knowing how the younger man is and is probably blaming himself, but before he even gets the chance to open his mouth they hear the front door open, Jongjin chattering loudly about how excited he is to see his brother. Ryeowook sighs and sits up, pressing one more kiss to the back of Jongwoon's hand before he untangles their fingers. Jongwoon smiles weakly at his lover, trying to send him reassurance that this isn't a dream and that he'll still be alive when Ryeowook gets back. "Go get some rest. Send Sungmin and Henry my greetings, yeah?"

“I will,” Ryeowook says softly, every part of him screaming to stay as he disconnects himself from Jongwoon, smiling back just as weakly. He hears Jongwoon’s family in the living room and knows he should leave now, swallowing hard and turning towards the door. “Promise you’ll still be okay when I get back. See you soon, Jongwoon.”

Jongwoon nods shallowly in lieu of having to speak, glad at least that Ryeowook will hopefully be getting some rest, the younger man looking like he sorely needs it. Ryeowook hesitates for a moment before leaving completely, and Jongwoon can see the way he mouths _I love you_ , smile warmly tugging on his lips as Ryeowook rushes away. He can hear Ryeowook’s voice in the hallway when he runs into his family, and Jongwoon braces himself for the confrontation, knowing how worried his family must have been if Ryeowook was anything to judge by.

Jongjin is the first one who comes bounding into the room, relieved smile crawling up on his face when Jongwoon lifts his fingers in a tiny little wave (it hurts too much to raise his whole arm). His parents come in next, his mother clinging to her husband's arm as though he is her grounding to reality, that this isn't a dream. Jongjin hurries over to Jongwoon's side, scooting out the chair so that their mother can sit down. 

“Make yourselves comfortable, I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere for a bit,” Jongwoon Jokes weakly, and his family seems to be in awe that he’s even speaking. It makes him wonder just how much everyone but him seems to know about his condition, and it almost makes a frown tug at his lips until he sees how absolutely overcome with joy his parents and brother are, making him smile weakly instead. “I’m sorry for making you all worry.”

His mother comes over and sits down in the chair slowly, hesitantly bringing her hand to Jongwoon's, shuddering a shaky sigh when it's warm. "My son... twice now, I believed that Luzo had taken you from me, and twice now he has brought you back to us." Her eyes water as her tiny hands, gnarled from years of housework, clasp tightly around Jongwoon's. "We are truly blessed."

“Well, I’m not quite done here yet,” Jongwoon smiles, squeezing his mother’s hand as Jongjin mutters _my brother is invincible!_ , causing his father to shake his head. It makes Jongwoon realize just how long it’s been since his family has been together like this, and he’s overcome with a wave of nostalgia for a moment. “I don’t think Luzo is quite ready to take me yet, there’s too many people counting on me still.”

"You certainly are a special one," his father says, settling into the chair across from his wife and rubbing his temples. "I'll say Luzo has a plan for you yet, my son." He gives Jongwoon a relieved smile, before he leans forward and pats Jongwoon's shoulder lightly, chuckling apologetically when Jongwoon winces. "I'm proud of you, Jongwoon. I just wish you wouldn't frighten us quite so often."

“I don’t exactly do it on purpose,” Jongwoon mutters, thinking of how Ryeowook told him nearly the same thing, fond smile spreading on his face. He and his family sit in comfortable silence a bit longer, well, silence beyond Jongjin’s excited chatter and twittering around his brother. Jongwoon starts to feel his eyes getting heavier after a bit though, and he feels some of that exhaustion coming back, and his mother seems to notice his small struggle, chuckling at him and patting his hand.

"We'll let you rest," she murmurs, rising to her feet and pulling the blankets up a little higher over Jongwoon's chest, making sure he doesn't catch a cold on top of everything else. "We'll pray to Luzo for your speedy recovery. Make sure Jungsu let's you get some sleep, you can't get well if he's hovering over you." She leans forward and presses a soft kiss to his cheek, smiling gently as Jongwoon feels like a child again.

“Okay,” Jongwoon smiles softly and waves his fingers again as his parents move to leave, his father giving him another pat on the shoulder, though more gentle this time. His mother fusses a bit more before beckoning Jongjin to come too, but the boy just shakes his head, sheepishly saying that he has something he needs to talk to Jongwoon about. Their mother tuts, but only warns Jongjin not to take too long and disturb Jongwoon’s rest, Jongwoon looking questioningly at his brother as he fidgets back and forth when their parents step out.

Jongwoon looks at his little brother questioningly as Jongjin struggles for the right words to say, the younger boy not meeting Jongwoon's eyes for a minute, instead opting to look at the floor. After a few minutes of silence, Jongjin sighs and finally looks up, awkward smile on his face. Jongwoon might raise an eyebrow if it doesn't hurt so much. "So, uh. How's the wife doing?"

“The _what_?” Jongwoon nearly chokes, eyes widening as his brother simply continues to smile. The awkward is almost palpable between them as Jongjin shifts back and forth while Jongwoon’s jaw hangs open. “Excuse me, did I hear you right, Jongjin? Are you sure that you didn’t hit your head too? Last time I checked I wasn’t yet a married man.”

Jongjin sighs and moves into the seat that his mother vacated, words still churning in his head as he tries to explain to his brother that he _knows_. "Jongwoon... you'd have to be blind to not see how much that Ryeowook cares for you," he murmurs, and Jongwoon nearly passes out on the spot. "And... I may or may not have heard him professing his love to you the night you were hurt."

“See what?” Jongwoon’s mouth nearly drops open, and he thinks if his head didn’t hurt already then it certainly would be now. His brother represses the urge to giggle at the completely baffled look on Jongwoon’s face, hiding a smile behind his hand. Jongwoon is simply surprised that his brother hasn’t gone off on him yet if he does know about him and Ryeowook, having been under the impression that it would be frowned upon if his family knew. He realizes how distraught Ryeowook must have been too if he was just proclaiming his love like that, and his heart hurts for the other man. “You heard him doing _what_? Oh, Luzo, Ryeowook...”

"Relax," Jongjin soothes as comfortingly as he can, "I'm the only one who knows, I think. Maybe Jungsu because he's seen Ryeowook in here the last two days, but Mom and Dad definitely don't. I mean, I have to admit I was a little weirded out at first but..." he looks away, suddenly looking deep in thought, twiddling his thumbs. "I just can't believe that anyone being that _sincere_ can be bad. He really loves you, Jongwoon."

“I know he does,” Jongwoon murmurs, smile coming unbidden to his lips even as he sighs, thinking of he and Ryeowook’s relationship. Even the times where they were strained, he’s sure he wouldn’t trade it for anything, and Jongjin sits in awed silence as he watches his brother think, sure that he’s never seen him look so at peace. “And believe it or not, I love him too. I never thought I would, not by a long shot, but I wouldn’t trade anything that’s happened to me if it meant I didn’t have him by my side.”

Jongwoon closes his eyes, smile still on his face as all the memories of Ryeowook come to his mind. It hits him just how quickly they grew close, Ryeowook worming his way into his heart and burrowing deep. Jongjin feels like he's intruding on something very private just by sitting there, but his brother's words only bolster his motivation behind this whole conversation, pocket suddenly weighing heavy at his side.

“That’s... part of why I’m here actually,” Jongjin eventually says softly, not wanting to interrupt Jongwoon’s reverie but wanting to be able to tell him what it was he’s here for, noticing the way Jongwoon’s blinks grow longer, his elder brother clearly almost falling asleep. Jongjin produces the bag the ring his father gave him from his pocket, and Jongwoon’s eyes light with a spark of recognition as Jongjin continues to speak. “After you’d left, we’d been so sure you were dead, Father gave me this. It was supposed to be yours, and since you’re back now I feel it only right that it be returned to you, especially since you have someone you so clearly love.”

"But Father gave it to you," Jongwoon protests quietly, eyes wide with surprise. The light-hearted conversation suddenly turns serious, but not heavy as Jongjin nervously plays with the strings of the soft pouch. "I can't take that from you, Jongjin. I don't care who it was meant for, it's yours now. It's not like you'll never find love. I'm sure your wife will appreciate it." 

“It _was_ meant to be _yours_ though, just think of it as me holding onto it for you,” Jongjin insists, peeking inside the pouch and seeing the metal of the ring that glints under the soft light of the room, looking determinedly at Jongwoon. It was never meant to be his in the first place, and he refuses to keep it while Jongwoon is alive and well. “And maybe one day I will, but that doesn’t change that this isn’t mine. Besides, after all the times that you’ve probably scared that poor man with your tendency for near death experiences, he deserves something nice.”

That in particular shuts Jongwoon up, the older man's expression suddenly looking very guilty and Jongjin wants to kick himself for saying exactly the wrong thing. "Not like you did it on purpose or anything!" he says quickly. "I just meant, you know, how this ring is such an important part of our tradition that you might like to share it with him. After all, we've treated him like an outsider for long enough, and I'm guilty of it too. If you're in love with him though, he's one of the family and this is the perfect way to show him that."

“I have to wonder what the rest of the family would think of that,” Jongwoon chuckles softly, lost in thought. He doesn’t want to take it away from Jongjin, still sticking to the fact that he was the one their father gave the family ring to. But his brother does have a point, and there’s something about being able to do something like that for Ryeowook, to be able to really call him family, that warms his heart. “You aren’t going to give up on this no matter what I say, are you?”

"Absolutely not," Jongjin says with a bright smile, reaching over to the bedside table and putting it in the drawer. "I know you won't forget it, so I'll just put it here until you get up out of this bed, okay?" Jongwoon sighs in defeat, and Jongjin can't hide his pleased look to finally best his older brother in an argument. "It'll mean a lot to him, Jongwoon. Don't even try to deny it."

"Quite frankly, I'm still too caught up in wrapping my head around you knowing about Ryeowook and I to try," Jongwoon yawns, eyes finally closing and feeling like they're weighed down with lead. Jongjin just chuckles and shakes his head, murmuring _sleep well, brother_ as Jongwoon loses himself to sleep. He scoots his chair back and leaves the room as quietly as he can, casting one last glance at his peacefully sleeping brother, heart light knowing that he's _only_ sleeping, before he shuts the door with barely a click behind him.

...

Ryeowook practically stumbles into Sungmin’s house when he gets there, exhaustion hitting him full force now that his fear of Jongwoon never waking up again is nearly gone, having been running almost solely on adrenaline. He finds Sungmin and Henry sitting at the dining table, and waves weakly when they notice him, both looking surprised to see him away from Jongwoon’s side.

“He’s awake,” Ryeowook breathes, Henry and Sungmin’s mouths dropping and Ryeowook can see the absolute joy present in their eyes. He knows they were just as worried about Jongwoon, and the relief in the air is almost tangible. “And there’s no other problems with him that Jungsu can find, it looks like he’ll be able to recover. I was kind of kicked out because his family was there, Jungsu told me to come here and rest, but you guys should be able to see him soon too.”

"Th-that's great!" Sungmin laughs incredulously, face lighting up at the news that Ryeowook brings. "My father and Sungjin should be getting home from the meetings with the other Elders soon, we can go visit him after that, right?" Henry chuckles to see the excitement on Sungmin's face but pats his shoulder to keep him from getting ahead of himself.

"He'll probably be really worn out by the time his family leaves, Min," Henry says wisely. "Let's leave him to see his family and rest tonight, and we can go see him first thing in the morning." Sungmin deflates a little bit, disappointed. "Besides, isn't your sleeping hour bell going to ring soon too? You don't want a vigilante taking you out for being out after hours."

“I suppose you’re right,” Sungmin admits begrudgingly, pouting slightly but unable to hide the joy that his best friend is awake, having begun to fear that he’d never wake up. It’s a weight lifted off his shoulders and he slumps against Henry, thinking that they might finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. “And I’ve snuck around after hours before, but you’re right about him being tired, he’ll probably over exert himself if anything.”

“He’d better not,” Ryeowook grumbles, hoping that Jongwoon’s family will at least be able to keep him out of trouble in his stead, still quite worried for the older man. Henry looks at him sympathetically, but Ryeowook can see how he’s itching to say _I told you so_ and glares back at his friend. “If he does _anything_ like this again I might kill him myself, I’ll have gray hair before I’m thirty at this rate.”

He grumbles to himself as he draws up to the table, sinking into a chair and rubbing a hand over his eyes. As much as he's extremely relieved that Jongwoon is awake, the adrenaline that's been keeping him going the last two days has started weaning very quickly, leaving him exhausted. He lets his head fall down on the table, content to just sleep there for a bit if it meant he didn't have to move.

But then something Sungmin said hits him and he pops back up again, confusion clear on his face. "Wait a minute. Your Father _and_ Sungjin? I thought those Elder meetings were for, well, the Elders." He feels lethargic, like even the most simple explanation might soar right over his head, but Sungmin sighs, looking rather guilty.

“Well, they are,” Sungmin says, smiling uncomfortably as Ryeowook just blinks at him, nerves completely shot and even things that should be obvious not quite registering. Sungmin sighs before continuing, speaking slowly so that Ryeowook will get all of it. “And being that my brother had already started Elder training after I’d left, my father decided it best that he continue to be successor. I think that they know I’m not going to stay too, so Sungjin will be an elder soon.”

“Oh,” Ryeowook says, nodding to himself and yawning again as Sungmin all but slams his head on the table. Henry tries not to laugh at the whole scenario, Sungmin looking unbelievably frustrated and Ryeowook simply looking bored, eyes drooping again. “That’s nice for him then.”

"You are unbelievable," Sungmin scoffs, standing from the table and clearing the plate he and Henry had been sharing. "The wash room is in the back corner of the corridor but you have to warm your own water. There's a tub filled with fresh water in there, and a fresh towel next to the big basin. Just light the coals, they won't flame. And don't go to bed dirty," he adds, setting the dishes in the sink and pouring in water over top of them. "You'll want to get a good night's sleep and you'll itch since you haven't washed."

“I don’t know what’s so unbelievable,” Ryeowook grumbles, getting up slowly and stumbling in what he hopes is the direction of the bathroom, hoping he doesn’t fall asleep and end up drowning in the bath. Henry gets up quickly to steer him away from a wall, and he smiles gratefully at the younger man, thoughts coming out of his mouth as soon as he thinks them. “And where would you like me to sleep? I’m certainly not taking your bed from you, unless you and Henry are trying to stealthily cling on the floor, if so be my guest.”

"You _are_ taking the bed," Henry insists and Sungmin nods in agreement. "You haven't slept proper in two days Ryeowook, you're getting a good night's sleep whether you like it or not." He continues steering Ryeowook down the hall to the bathroom, leaving Sungmin alone to finish scrubbing the dishes. When they're out of earshot Henry leans forward and whispers, "The reason Sungmin's so upset about Sungjin being the Elder in training is that it was supposed to be _his_ job. Sungjin wanted to take over Jungmo's job since he loves working with the animals. Sungmin blames himself for Sungjin having to do it in the first place."

“I thought it might be as much,” Ryeowook sighs, content to let Henry maneuver him through the hall and set the bath up for him. He thought that Sungmin may have been feeling guilty for unloading responsibilities onto his brother, but there’s really no other way around it if the rest of them are to continue with their lives as they want to. “I suppose I should apologize for treating it so flippantly then. And what are you doing here chatting with me then? I’m tired, not an invalid. Go comfort your loverboy.”

Henry blushes and gives Ryeowook a scowl. " _Excuse_ me, princess," he mutters, rolling his eyes and turning to leave Ryeowook to his own devices. "Enjoy your shower. Don't be too long, I don't know when the Elder will be home and to be honest I don't know how much he trusts us, even still. We'll be in Sungmin's room." He waves Ryeowook on his way before going back to the kitchen.

He only blushes harder as Ryeowook calls back _Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!_ , muttering to himself as he sees Sungmin finishing up on the dishes, looking at him like he’s lost his mind at Henry talking to himself. Henry simply shakes his head, saying _You don’t want to know_ , walking up to Sungmin and leaning his head on the older man’s shoulder.

"We should rest, too," Sungmin murmurs, relishing in Henry's warmth as the younger boy snakes his arms around his waist, but still keeping an ear alert for the door. "I'm just so relieved that Jongwoon's okay. It's so surreal, I never thought for a second that there was a chance that I would lose my best friend, you know?" Henry hums and Sungmin sighs, hands stilling on the dish towel and looking absently forward. "I'll never admit it to him but... ever since we were little I always thought he was invincible. He's always been there."

“He’s your rock,” Henry murmurs, burying his face in Sungmin’s neck, reaching for Sungmin’s hands and entwining them with his, enjoying this moment where they can just be close, those having been few with the rate that people have been around the past few days. He knows how shaken Sungmin was from nearly losing Jongwoon, and he doesn’t want to have to see him like that again. “But he’s okay now, and we’ll go see him tomorrow and everything will be fine.”

Sungmin sighs, and Henry knows he feels bad for losing his wits in a time of crisis. "Hey," he says softly, pressing a kiss to Sungmin's temple. "If it had been Ryeowook, you'd better bet your basket that I'd have reacted the same way. But that's all passed now, okay? Things are finally on the mend. Now all we have to do is deal with Ryeowook's uncle to make sure he doesn't pull anything like this again and we can go back to the way things were."

"No way," Sungmin nearly shouts, spinning out of Henry's hold and looking straight into his eyes. His eyes are wild with a sudden panic and Henry wonders what he said wrong. "Absolutely not. I'm never letting you set foot back into that city so long as that evil man is at large. No, I won't put you in danger like that anymore, _absolutely not_.”

“But, Sungmin, we can’t just let Jongwoon and Ryeowook deal with it,” Henry says quietly, genuinely confused as to why Sungmin is so set against him going back. He knows it’s likely from all they had to endure while there, but it’s almost normal to him, and he doesn’t feel comfortable to simply standby. “I know what happened last time was bad, but I’ve had worse, I don’t want to be the one holding everyone back.”

"Henry you are probably a wanted man right now," Sungmin says seriously, holding Henry by the shoulders. "And knowing how poorly they treat slaves there, I wouldn't be surprised if they have orders to shoot you on sight. I won't let that happen, and I'm sure Ryeowook and Jongwoon will agree with me. I nearly lost you, and I nearly lost Jongwoon and both times I could have _prevented_ it from happening. This time I will."

“Sungmin...” Henry sighs, averting his eyes from the other man’s intense gaze, knowing that what he says is true but not quite wanting to admit it. He bites his lip as he thinks, only looking back up when he feels gentle fingers on his chin, Sungmin still looking at him seriously but eyes softening at Henry’s distress. “I understand that’s how you feel, and I’ll respect it, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. And what happened to me, and what happened to Jongwoon, neither were your fault, please stop blaming yourself. I just... I don’t want to be useless.”

"You are not and never will be useless, Henry," Sungmin assures, gently brushing Henry's hair out of his eyes. "And it's easier said than done. Whether or not they were my fault, I know in my heart I have the chance to protect you and you better damn well believe I'm not letting that chance go. I'm not letting you go back to the Capitol and that's final."

“Fine,” Henry mumbles, still not quite wanting to agree with Sungmin but nodding anyway, knowing that the older man isn’t likely to give up on this argument anytime soon, no matter how much he protests. Sungmin seems to brighten a bit at his agreement, and leans in to brush his lips over Henry’s softly before grabbing hold of his hand, pulling them in the direction of his room. “Where are we going to go then though?”

"I... haven't thought that far ahead yet," Sungmin admits sheepishly, the intensity about him vanishing instantly. "Maybe Ryeowook will let us stay in the cabin again. It's been abandoned for almost three weeks, it's probably accumulated so much dust. And I'm sure if we explain to Youngwoon what happened he'll give me my job back..." He trails off, gears working in his head. "And you still have to teach me to read."

“One thing at a time,” Henry laughs lightly, much more comfortable around Sungmin when he’s like this than when his serious demeanor takes over, swinging their hands back and forth as they walk down the hallway. He’s thankful that Sungmin’s family isn’t back yet, Sungmin always seeming to turn slightly somber when they’re around. “What do you know, maybe I’ll even get the courage for you to teach me to swim if we make it that far.”

Sungmin chuckles, knowing how unlikely that is but is touched by the thought. "We'll have to see about that, considering you turn into a little girl every time I make you take a bath." He busts out in full laughter at Henry's indignant _hey!_ , squeezing Henry's hands tight. "Let's go get some rest, alright? Ryeowook knows where my room is, and the sleeping hour should be chiming any minute now. Sungjin shouldn't be too bothered that we didn't wait up for him."

“Alright,” Henry says softly, yawning lightly as he realizes just how tired he is, nerves of the past few days finally coming to settle with all the good news they’ve heard. Sungmin simply pokes him and leads Henry the rest of the way to his room, sounds of Ryeowook finishing up in the bath echoing to them as Sungmin lets go of his hands to set up the blankets for them, looking around for extras so that they all won’t freeze. “I guess you and I have floor duty tonight then?”

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Sungmin chuckles as they they lay down the blankets together. "It's an excuse for us to share a 'bed'. Unless you'd rather sleep here and I'll sleep on the floor in Sungjin's room." Henry adamantly shakes his head and Sungmin chuckles again. "Thought not." He scrounges around, finding the longest pillow they have so that if his father or Sungjin walks in they don't really look too suspicious. If anything, Sungmin figures he could use the 'not-having-enough-pillows-for-everyone' excuse.

“Just like old times,” Henry smiles, and lays down on the blankets once Sungmin has them all set up, having laid plenty on his bed for Ryeowook as well. He buries his face in the pillow as Sungmin continues rummaging around, but latches onto the older man as he sets himself up beside him, arms going around Sungmin’s shoulders as the blanket covers them up. Sungmin laughs at Henry’s eagerness, making sure that they’re covered nearly to their heads so that nothing looks particularly amiss. “I missed this.”

"Me too, Henry," Sungmin sighs happily, chancing a slow, soft kiss from Henry, pulling away just as the clock chimes the sleeping hour out in the plaza. "Me too." He knows his family will be home soon, but he can't really bring himself to care, lost in the warmth that Henry gives him. They lay like that in a peaceful silence, drifting off to sleep just as the telltale squeak of the hinge on the front door drifts through the house. Sungmin blinks up when the door opens a crack, seeing Sungjin peer in, and smiles when he just closes the door without barging in. 

_Things are finally looking up._

...

Jinseon sleeps uneasy when she finally makes it back to her room in the manor, worry for Minho and what’s sure to come once Siwon storms the manor disturbing her rest. She wakes up the moment she hears noise, the distinct sound of horses on cobble stone and yelling, bolting from her bed and out the door, morning sun barely shining through her curtains.

She pulls her shawl over her night dress, clinging to it with white knuckles as she hurries through the corridors, glad that she at least had the presence of mind to slip on a pair of shoes. The commotion echoes up through the mansion and she hurries past the servants, all congregating in the corridors, exchanging quiet exclamations and confused and worried expression clear on their faces.

She has to fight her way through the gathering crowd of slaves and servants, eventually catching a glimpse of Siwon, holding Lord Kim’s hands behind his back as Taemin stands in front of them, nervousness only present in his eyes as he reads the arrest warrant in a clear voice. The Lord’s face seems to be purple in rage almost as Taemin finishes, paper being tucked back in the young man’s pocket, fighting against Siwon’s grip to no avail.

"Unhand me, you great buffoon!" the Lord snarls loudly, making a huge scene as Siwon wrestles the older man's arms behind his back and claps a pair of shackles on his wrists. "Do you even know who I am? You cannot arrest me, you have no grounds!" Jinseon leaps about a foot in the air as her father comes up behind her and lays a concerned hand on her shoulder, watching the scene with wide eyes.

“He’s being arrested on conspiracy for murder, and hiring a hit man,” Lord Hwang tells her quietly, seemingly amazed with the entire situation. Jinseon puts on a look of shock, but inside she only feels relief, thankful that they’ve managed to get through the hardest part, actually arresting him. Siwon seems to catch her eye for a moment as Lord Kim continues protesting _You cannot do this, you have no proof, I won’t believe it till I see the King!_. Jinseon simply smiles encouragingly, and then they’re leading the Lord away. “And a slew of other charges, my God, I’d never have thought.”

"I told you I didn't feel comfortable dealing with this man, Father," Jinseon murmurs, crossing her arms over her chest and hugging herself. "And Ryeowook tried to warn you off too. That man has nothing but bad around him, and now your reputation is at stake too." Her father seems startled by her intuition, eyebrows raising as she continues. "You realize they're probably going to bring you in for questioning because of your association with him, right, Father?"

“Oh, dear, I’d never thought,” Her father looks nervous, sweat beading on his brow, but Jinseon can’t bring herself to care much, a spiteful part of her believing him to deserve it for putting her through so much against her will. She looks around and sees Kibum outside with the wagon, other guards having joined them, but Jinki and Minho are nowhere in sight, and she resolves to find out the situation as quickly as she can, going to follow the procession out of the manor. “Wait, where are you going, Jinseon?”

"To be with the one I love," she spits back, not bothering with the fact that she's being disrespectful. "And to take care of the matters as the Lady of this manor since Lord Kim is _stepping down_ from his position." She ignores his calling after her, shouting nervously _Wait, where's Ryeowook and why can't he deal with this?_ as she pulls the shawl tight around her shoulders to the cold.

“With any luck, Ryeowook won’t need to deal with any of this,” She mutters to herself, hoping the young man is still alright, and that he’d managed to find Jongwoon. She pushes it to the back of her mind though as she rushes towards the wagon, making it just in time to see Lord Kim snarl as the back doors are shut, ready to leave to his hearing. She looks around for Siwon, and finally finds him speaking with a lesser guard, giving quick instructions.

Siwon spots her and quickly finishes up with the guard, the lower-ranked man nodding and scurrying to take the reigns of the horses tethered to the wagon, Lord Kim's angry tirade fading off as the caravan sets off, Taemin and Kibum supervising and nodding to Siwon. He turns to Jinseon and startles that she's in such thin clothes, shedding his outer cloak and draping it over her shoulders as she leans into his embrace. "How's your brother?" she asks, reveling in the lingering warmth of the cloak.

"I sent him back to the palace with Jinki last night," Siwon sighs, resting his chin on her head. "He was in no shape for the raid today, he needed better medical attention than Jinki could provide." Jinseon can hear the worry practically dripping from his voice but he keeps going before she can say something. "What about you? Have you heard any word from your husband?"

“He’s not my husband,” Jinseon says irritably, rather willing to forget that the entire wedding happened. She knows Ryeowook would as well, sure that there’s someone else he’d rather be wedded to. The thought of how he’d react to being Jongwoon’s _wife_ does set a grin on her face though, sure of how upset he’d be. Siwon’s comment does bring back her lingering worry though, and she sighs. “His name is Ryeowook, remember? And no, I haven’t. I’m quite worried for him, the last I’d seen of him he’d been running after his lover in the snow, I hope he’s alright.”

Siwon's eyebrows shoot into his hairline in surprise. "His lover was here?" Jinseon nods a little, murmuring _he was brought here with his friend and the slave when Ryeowook was captured for running away_. Siwon nods as he listens to Jinseon's explanation, but then stops when he hears the word 'he.' "Ryeowook's lover is a man?" Jinseon nods again and while he doesn't look too thrilled about it, Siwon to his credit says nothing more than, "Your father certainly knows how to pick some interesting characters."

“He’s a good man, if Ryeowook did manage to find him again then I’m sure they’re both alright,” Jinseon sighs softly, rubbing her temples and leaning against Siwon. Siwon simply mutters _Well, this explains why you were so sure he didn’t love you at least_ , and she resists the urge to smack him. “And interesting isn’t even the half of it. But Ryeowook is one of the bravest men I’ve met, and I really do hope that he and Jongwoon are okay.”

"Well I hope for your sake that they're alright too," Siwon replies, circling his arms around Jinseon's tiny frame and leading her inside. "I've left Kibum in charge of the arrest caravan as I knew you'd be shouldered with the task of taking charge until Ryeowook returns, if he returns at all... And I'm sure you know by now that we'll have to question your father, too, as much as I don't want to..." he trails off.

“We’ll take things as they come,” Jinseon says resolutely, not trying to look too far into the future, knowing how unpredictable it is at this point, and simply trying to get through what they need to right now. She takes a moment to be thankful for the man beside her, and is sure that she’ll have to lean on him a lot in the coming times, pressing close against him. “And we’ll do the best we can, and everything will work out. We’ve managed to get through the hardest part anyway, from here on out it’s nothing that we can’t do together.”

"And as for my father, he's a man and he'll have to take responsibility for his actions," she continues curtly. "As soon as Ryeowook returns we'll figure out a way to annul the marriage, it shouldn't be too difficult seeing as neither of us have objections to it and the only people who would are in the custody of the palace." She sees a guard talking to her father across the grand foyer of the manor as Siwon leads her inside, spying him trying to talk his way out of trouble. "I honestly don't know what happened to him. He used to be such a good man... I suppose pride, among other things, made him blind to the crookedness of that Lord."

“People can change, but hopefully this will teach him a lesson,” Siwon sighs, and grips her a bit tighter to him, surveying the scene and noticing where he’s needed, slaves seeming to be confused and the remaining guards left unattended. “But it looks like there’s still other work to be done, this is going to take time.”

“We have all the time in the world now, at least,” Jinseon says softly, and gives Siwon one more smile before heading off in the direction of her father, feeling the chill of not being at Siwon’s side but clutching his cloak tighter around her, setting her steps resolutely and face falling into a determined expression.

She’s a Lady of power now, and doesn’t intend to lie around idle while the men try to do what they think is right.

 

...

“I’m not going to break just because I’m walking again,” Jongwoon grumbles as Ryeowook fusses over him as he sits down on Jungsu’s couch, Sungmin and Henry seated across from them in chairs. Jongwoon nearly tried to jump from the bed the moment Jungsu cleared him to be walking around again, nearly taking another fall in the process, and since then Ryeowook has taken extra care to watch the older man’s every move. “Please stop looking at me like that, Ryeowook, it’s kind of unnerving.”

"Jongwoon, you have been in that bed for nearly a week, I do not want to hear you complaining about my mothering," Ryeowook snaps lightly, ignoring Jongwoon muttering _It's only been four days, that's not nearly a week_. Ryeowook takes the blanket Sungmin proffers and sits down next to Jongwoon, draping it over both their laps. Jongwoon's family has already come and gone earlier this evening, leaving when Jongwoon pretended to doze off to get some alone time with his friends.

“We have business to discuss anyway,” Sungmin breaks in, knowing that Ryeowook and Jongwoon are liable to argue all night if something doesn’t stop them, Ryeowook having been much more on edge than usual and Jongwoon insisting on his wellness. Henry nods in agreement but can’t help laughing a little behind his hand at the way Ryeowook continues to grumble, even as he curls into Jongwoon’s side. “Such as what we’re going to be doing about the Capitol, and how we’re going to tell our families that we aren’t staying. At least, I assume the two of you aren’t planning to stay?”

"Of course not," Jongwoon says before Ryeowook even has the chance to open his mouth. "I love my family, but we still have business to attend to in the Capitol, as you said. I won't send Ryeowook to deal with that alone. Wherever he goes, I'm following." He clears his throat at the three gaping stares he earns for his adamant proclamation. "And besides it's not like we can _never_ come back. We found that entryway, it'll be easier than jumping in the river."

"Oh sure, except there's one problem with that," Sungmin adds, face stony serious. "The Elders have all voted to seal the entranceway again and add the geysers to part of the Forbidden Land. They don't want any of their descendants to find out about the world up there. They've been scouring the scrolls for the last couple of days and they made a unanimous decision that since their ancestors wanted nothing to do with that world, that they're going to keep it that way. They're probably going to seal it up within the next day or two."

“Better to hide the truth than learn more about it,” Ryeowook grumbles, that kind of attitude always having annoyed him, how people can simply pretend that something isn’t there like that. He can understand why the people would choose to do such a thing, but it doesn’t make it any less irksome to him. “So all decisions are final then? Keep contact forever or cut it off entirely, unless we want to be going through that river again?”

“It’s how my people have always been,” Sungmin shrugs, understanding Ryeowook’s feeling and feeling a bit let down himself, having hoped that maybe his family and others could be a bit more understanding of the surface at the very least. He zones out for a second as he thinks and it takes Henry squeezing his hand to bring him back, smiling apologetically at them. “And that looks to be the case, I can’t think of any other way around it.”

"It's probably safer for them this way too..." Sungmin adds in a soft murmur. "Knowing how my people were discriminated against in the past, if they were discovered it would only cause more chaos. That and we wouldn't want this," he gestures widely to Jongwoon, "happening ever again. Luzo really was on our side, that our casualties were as little as they were."

“Mostly my brain cells it seems,” Jongwoon chuckles, attempting at a joke which only earns a glare from Ryeowook, a nod all around when Jongwoon mutters _too soon?_. Sungmin groans, but Henry lets out a little giggle, and Jongwoon beams brightly at him. “But you’re right, Luzo was definitely on our side. Hopefully our people will be left in peace now, I doubt anyone else besides Lord Kim even remembers that they’re down here, we should be okay once he’s out of the picture.”

"And before we leave I want to go talk to Jungmo. I was down for the count when they put Minwoo to rest, I haven't had the chance to offer him my condolences," he adds, suddenly very somber. Sungmin pats his shoulder, knowing how bad Jongwoon feels for coming out alive while Minwoo, a year or so younger than he, died in the fighting. Ryeowook's glare softens, murmuring _don't you dare say you wish it were you_ with little heat in his voice, and Jongwoon shakes his head.

“I don’t,” He sighs, gazing blankly down at his knees as he knows how close he came to being where Minwoo is now. But he doesn’t wish the same fate for himself to trade with the younger, even though he feels terrible for thinking so. “I have more reasons to keep on living than I do to die, and I don’t intend to find myself in that position again anytime soon,” His eyes slide to Ryeowook, and Ryeowook seems to deflate again, reaching for Jongwoon’s hand under the blanket.

"We'll be okay," he murmurs, holding tight to Jongwoon's hand and looking to Henry and Sungmin for confirmation, both of them nodding earnestly. "Now let's figure out how to get my uncle out of power, hmm? Get our minds off the sad stuff."

"As if that man isn't a sad excuse for a human being," Henry scoffs, and Sungmin throws a comforting arm around his shoulder. "But isn't Miss Jinseon helping? I thought she said that she would contact her knight friend back at the palace to help us."

“Well, I’d wager she must have been able to at least get something done because the cavalry hasn’t come for our heads yet,” Ryeowook mutters, still worried for Jinseon’s safety if his uncle is indeed still in power. Henry seems to be on edge at even the mere thought of the man, and Ryeowook throws him a sympathetic gaze. “Though I would like to hear from her for confirmation, it’s times like this I wish I had formed more of a concrete plan with her before I left. But a certain someone was intent on freezing himself to death.”

Jongwoon at least has the courtesy to look sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck timidly, but he doesn't apologize. "I did what I thought would protect you. You know if I had stayed there your uncle would have gotten suspicious. Since you were too busy on protecting the rest of us, someone else had to protect you. Though I have to admit, I was rather touched that you came after me without giving your uncle a piece of your mind. I thought you would have strangled him when you found out he'd reneged on your deal."

“Well, you’re half right, I came close to strangling him to death,” Ryeowook says softly, and they all laugh until they realize that Ryeowook is being _serious_ , eyes going somber again as he stares nervously at the floor, pulling away a bit. “I completely lost it after I’d read... something left for me and Jinseon told me how he broke our deal. I think I might have taken out a few teeth when I punched him, even Jinseon had thought I killed him. In that state of mind I might have, if it weren’t for needing to go and find Jongwoon.”

Jongwoon knows immediately what Ryeowook is talking about, but it still doesn't stop his jaw from hanging on its hinge as he stares down his lover, Henry and Sungmin mirroring his face nearly exactly. "Luzo, Ryeowook," Sungmin breathes, eyeing him up and down. "Remind me not to get on your bad side." Ryeowook blinks before laughing a bit hysterically, muttering _you don't think I'm psychotic?_ Sungmin chuckles before shaking his head. "That asshole deserved it. I may not have known you as long as Henry has but I'll bet anything that was a long time coming."

“He deserves every bit of what’s coming to him now,” Ryeowook says, a touch of bitterness in his voice as he remembers all the years of his life that his uncle ruined, everyone else’s lives that he’s taken apart. He can feel Jongwoon’s eyes boring into the side of his head but he ignores it, fidgeting where he sits. “He stole my family from me, my childhood, everything that I’d ever loved or cherished he took from me. Over half of my live has been dedicated to being molded into what that man wanted me to be, and I’m sick and tired of just _taking_ it. Call me crazy, but I just couldn’t deal with it anymore.”

"No one is calling you crazy, Ryeowook," Henry reassures softly, having witnessed and experienced the cruelty of that wicked lord firsthand. "Justice is coming his way. We'll make sure of it. I'm sure Miss Jinseon is just fine, she has her knight there with her now, I just know it." Ryeowook appreciates his young friend's encouragement but still can't help the worry that creeps at the edges of his consciousness.

“I hope you’re right,” Ryeowook murmurs, still not quite looking up and feeling nervous in his heart. He knows that Jinseon should be fine, but he would never be able to live with himself if he ran away and left an innocent woman in harms way, or to her death. “I’d still like to be able to get back there soon though, just to make sure. But I’m not going anywhere until Jongwoon is better, I won’t risk his health on it.”

"That much, I definitely agree with," Sungmin says, face reflecting his whole-hearted determination. "It's already another three days back to the Capitol, even without the added danger of the river. That, plus the fact that it's still winter and you are already prone to infection because of those burns. The only good thing that can come from that snow is, any dynamite that might still be left will be soaked through and useless by now."

“Yes, I am aware of the state of my uselessness,” Jongwoon grumbles, frowning slightly as he thinks that the only thing really holding any of them back from leaving are his injuries, and there’s not much he can do to speed their healing. He knows rushing it won’t help either, likely to only hurt himself more. “Hopefully Jungsu will clear me to leave soon at least, all this bed rest will turn me soft before we even get to any fighting.”

"Regardless of whether or not we run into conflict you and Henry will not be fighting at all," Ryeowook snorts. "And if I have to go to the Capitol alone so be it, I will not risk losing you again. As for you, Henry, Sungmin told me his plans to take you back to Port Town and I have to agree. You set one foot in the Capitol so long as my Uncle is assumed to be in power and you're a dead man."

“You’ll go alone over my dead body,” Jongwoon growls, not even noticing the way Ryeowook flinches, stomach dropping at even the thought of Ryeowook going back to face his uncle alone. Henry seems resigned against arguing anymore, knowing that they’re right and simply slumping against Sungmin as Jongwoon’s tirade continues. “We’re in this together now, for better or for worse. I know that you don’t want to lose me, but I’m not going to chance losing you either. I meant it when I told you I was in this until the end, we’ll go there together.”

"Can we not argue in my living room?" Jungsu says as he exits the kitchen, tray with four mugs of steaming tea balanced somehow with one hand and his basket of medicinal salves and bandages in the other. "I don't know where you all think you're going but it's nowhere soon, Jongwoon isn't leaving my charge for at least another day or so, until I'm sure these burns are healed enough so they won't fester. I'm still not very assuaged about your head, dear boy, so I want to be careful. Head trauma is always a nasty business."

“Yes, mother,” Jongwoon mumbles, and Jungsu smacks him on the shoulder, ignoring Jongwoon’s whining about _be nice to the injured one_. Sungmin simply shakes his head, slightly amused at the way his friend pouts, but at least glad that they now have some kind of plan. “Actually, you’re _worse_ than my mother, between all of you I’m likely to be smothered to death before any more trauma can take effect.”

“Back to bed for you then,” Jungsu shoos, eyes gleaming in a way that makes Jongwoon a bit nervous, smiling slightly hesitantly. “Clearly if you’ve been up and about long enough to be snippy then you can take some time to get more rest. And the more rest you get the faster you’ll be out of that bed for good, you know.”

"We really do need him well soon, Jungsu," Sungmin sighs. "We have some business to attend to... up there, and if we don't get out before the Elders decide to seal up our only easy way out, we'll have to swim up the river like we did last time." Jungsu clucks his tongue disapprovingly as he readies the salve and sets to work peeling off Jongwoon's dirty bandages.

"Have you told your families yet?" he asks, clucking again when Jongwoon whines about the bandages sticking to the torn skin. "I'll bet you haven't. Haven't you considered their feelings at all? They just got their sons back and now they're going to lose them forever, again. Even if they know this time that you'll still be alive, the pain of separation won't be any easier for them."

“We haven’t,” Sungmin sighs, feeling that bite of guilt in his stomach again. He knows that Jongwoon must be feeling it even worse, knowing how close the older man is with his own family as compared to himself. “And I know that it’s not likely to go over well, but it’s something that me and Jongwoon need to do, there’s too much unfinished business on the surface that requires us to be there still.”

“Well, you have my best wishes in explaining it to them,” Jungsu shrugs, ignoring Jongwoon’s near constant whining as he wraps the last of his bandages, thankful that no infection has set in yet. “Especially you, Jongwoon. Jongjin may not have been quite as distraught as Ryeowook when you were unconscious, but if the way he’s attached to you now is any indication, you may have a hard time explaining your reasons to him.”

"You've given the poor boy enough heartache as it is," Jungsu finishes, tying the bandage and patting it firmly to make sure it stays, Jongwoon wincing at the pain that jolts up his arm. "I hope you're not planning on taking off without saying anything to him, at the very least. Maybe Sungmin can talk to his father, persuade the Elders to let you come back every so often. I'm sure despite the respected Elder's icy exterior he'll miss Sungmin, too."

“I know, I plan on talking to him,” Jongwoon murmurs, feeling guilty that he’ll be leaving his brother and parents so soon, but knows that this is what he is meant to do, feeling it in his heart. It’s only strengthened when he glances at Ryeowook and sees the other man smiling gently at him, knowing that this is what he needs to do for himself, hoping that his family will understand. “The rest is up to Sungmin then, I’ll do all I can with my family but I can’t promise much else beyond that.”

"That's all I ask, then," Jungsu says with a nod. "You're a good man, Jongwoon. Your path is a lot different than what I think all of us had in mind for you, watching you grow up. Luzo certainly has a way with fate," he says offhandedly, ruffling Jongwoon's hair around the bandage before standing. "The three of you should head on back now. I know it seems like Jongwoon's only just gotten out of bed but he still needs to take it easy. Besides, Sungmin has his work cut out for him."

“It’s unending, I’m used to it by now,” Sungmin mutters, Henry looking at him sympathetically as he can imagine how well that conversation has the potential of going. Sungmin is slightly dreading having to talk to his family about this but knowing how necessary it is. Ryeowook seems torn by the suggestion to leave and edges a bit closer to Jongwoon’s side, obviously looking to say his good nights in private. “I’ll do my best though. But at least we have a plan now, that’s better than what we started with.”

Henry sighs when he sees Ryeowook inch closer to Jongwoon, realizing the younger probably will not be joining them at Sungmin's house until later. It's probably for the better, he thinks, it gives Sungmin time to talk to his father and Sungjin without too much extra company. "We'll head back first, then. Ryeowook, don't be back too late, yeah? We're still guests." He stops short, blinking a bit before letting out a wry chuckle. "Isn't that something. Never thought I'd be saying that while I was here."

“I figured we’d be closer to ‘dead’ than guests,” Ryeowook laughs slightly too, waving Henry and Sungmin off as polite as he can, not wanting to rush them but he counts every moment he has alone with Jongwoon as precious now, even more than before. Sungmin wags his eyebrows at him from where he stands next to Henry, and Ryeowook has to restrain the urge to punch him, frowning as they walk out. “And don’t worry, I’ll be back before the sleeping hour tolls, plenty of time to find the two of you curled up on the floor I’m sure. Don’t forget to be careful you two, I’m sure your relationship won’t help your case with the Elder.”

"Don't worry about us," Sungmin waves off, gears obviously churning in his head as he tries to come up with something that will convince his father of the importance of staying with Henry, without giving themselves away. "You have enough on your plate with caring for Jongwoon and his family. But I guarantee we'll make it out of here before they seal the entrance up if it's the last thing I do. I promise." He never wants to force Henry into that river ever again if he can help it, and with the state that Jongwoon is in he'd drown the minute he hit the water.

“Good, I’m not sure any of us would make it back through the river,” Jongwoon speaks up, slight tiredness edging in his voice as he echoes Sungmin’s thoughts. Henry seems to sag as well, thankful that his chances of having to go through the water again are slim at least, shivering a bit at the thought of his previous experiences with it. “But could we maybe save all this discussion for tomorrow? As much as I hate to admit it, I am getting pretty tired again.”

Ryeowook starts fretting over Jongwoon again and Sungmin and Henry take the opportunity to make their leave, not wanting to be there with a grumpy, annoyed Jongwoon fighting off a mothering Ryeowook. They bid Jungsu goodnight, thanking him for his time and letting them stay so late before heading back down the road to Sungmin's house, weary silence hanging between them.

“So, how is this going to go?” Henry finally says quietly, silence more heavy rather than the comfortable ones he’s used to. He’s itching to reach out for Sungmin’s hand but knows that it wouldn’t be wise with people still out and about, finishing their errands before the chime of the sleeping hour. “You want to talk to your family alone, I assume, Min? Or is there anything I can do to help you?”

Sungmin thinks for a minute, biting his lower lip, before clapping a hand over his eyes and rubbing his temples. "As much as I'd love to have you with me, Henry, I really don't want to incite the wrath of my father. We've only just got him on our side, I don't want him to hate you again. That and..." he drags his hand down his face, suddenly looking very tired. "I may have to bring up your past to convince him without outing us. I just... I don't want to hurt you."

“Sungmin, you won’t hurt me,” Henry murmurs, heart aching for the older man and wishing he could help with some of his burdens, knowing there’s not much he can do here. He reaches a hesitant hand out to touch Sungmin’s shoulder and smiles at him softly. “Say whatever it is that you feel you need to, I don’t mind. They’re all just demons in my past anyway, this is the present and you’re here with me now. But if it’s what you want I’ll wait in your room or something while you all talk, that’s fine with me.”

"I still want to protect you, Henry," Sungmin sighs. "I don't know how they'll take it. So yeah, please wait in the room? If there's anything you want to say to them I'll come and get you once they've calmed down, I don't anticipate it going over well." Sungmin's house appears as they round the corner, and for a brief second while they're hidden from everyone's sight, Sungmin reaches out and squeezes Henry's hand comfortingly.

“I know,” Henry says softly, always surprised with how fierce Sungmin’s will to protect him is, and it always makes him wonder what he’d ever done to make him deserve this man, gripping Sungmin’s hand. He knows Sungmin is right too and that it probably won’t go very well, and that even if Sungmin’s father has been coming around a bit that this idea still will not be taken very well. “That’s fine with me. I know you, Sungmin, you’ll be able to handle them. And even if they don’t like it, you still have me, always.”

"Always," Sungmin repeats, the house he called his home looming closer with every step until they're standing on the doorstep. The sleeping hour chimes in the plaza and Sungmin takes a deep breath before pushing the door open. Henry gives him an encouraging smile before leading himself to Sungmin's room, leaving the door open just a crack so he can at least hear what happens. Sungmin steels himself before heading for the kitchen, half hoping his father isn't home yet.

“You’re home a bit late tonight,” His father’s voice greets him when he walks into the kitchen and his hopes are dashed, smiling weakly. His father and Sungjin are sitting at the table and now looking at him curiously as he fidgets, his father gesturing for him to sit with them as they seemed to be in the middle of conversation when he entered. “How is Jongwoon today? Has his condition gotten any better?”

"It has," Sungmin answers with a soft smile, using the fact that Jongwoon is up and about as a booster to his courage. "He was able to get out of the bed today, though Jungsu didn't let him walk very far." He leaves out Ryeowook's eye of a hawk over the other man, and resists the urge to chuckle at the memory. "How are the talks with the Elders going?"

“They go,” Sungjin sighs, and Sungmin can see how bored his brother is with all of these talks just by looking at him, and feels another stab of guilt for making Sungjin have to go through this. His father nods, and Sungmin notices that even he looks tired, and is again reminded of how long the Elder’s meetings have been these past days. “It was what we were just talking about before you came in, actually. It’s been all but cemented that that entrance to the surface is going to be sealed up soon, it’s been decided too much of a risk to the regular townspeople.”

There's a look in Sungjin's eye that makes Sungmin think the younger boy knows just how much of a problem this is for him, and the feeling of lead in his stomach sinks a little deeper. His father goes on about the more finite details of the meetings but Sungmin doesn't really hear them, running options in his head and choosing his words carefully, twiddling his fingers under the table. Suddenly there's a moment of silence and Sungmin looks up to see his father looking at him expectantly, realizing belatedly that he was supposed to answer something.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” He asks sheepishly, noticing the way his father raises an eyebrow at him, knowing it’s not quite his usual behavior to zone out so much that he misses an entire conversation. Sungjin is looking at him suspiciously too, and Sungmin is sure that this is foreshadowing to how this conversation is going to go, sighing to himself. 

“I asked if you had anything to offer on what was said at the meeting, but evidently you didn’t hear much of it,” The Elder sighs, and Sungmin winces, knowing that this won’t exactly help him at all if his father is in a testy mood already. “ _Is_ there anything you care to add on what we discussed?”

"I..." Sungmin starts, his words leaving him the minute the pressure falls on him, and he decides to throw his roundabout plan out the window, probably better just to rip the bandage off fast. "I have to ask for a favor, Father," he says, finding the table much more interesting than his father's reaction. "You can't seal the entrance until we leave. We're going to go back."

...

There’s a distinct moment of silence as Sungmin continues to stare at the table as the seconds tick by, not daring to look up and see his brother and father’s faces. He grits his teeth and waits for the explosion, finally looking up when he hears his father whisper _you’re going to do what?_. His father looks surprised with a tinge of anger rising in his eyes, but his brother looks strangely resigned, and Sungmin wonders if he had suspected this already.

"I... We can't trap Henry and Ryeowook here," he begins his explanation as calmly as he can, trying his very best to keep his voice from shaking. "You didn't fight the miners, so you didn't get to see what their world is like. It's so much different here, and while we're used to it because we grew up with it, I can't do that to them." He swallows thickly and lets his words sink in, not wanting to bring up Henry's past if he doesn't have to, knowing the younger boy is most likely eavesdropping.

“I can understand that, but you make it sound as if you are going to be leaving with them as well,” His father says quietly, eyes sharp on his eldest son as he stares him down. Sungmin stares back evenly, face managing not to betray how nervous he feels, how his mind is racing to counter whatever his father says. “Which cannot possibly be the case, as after disappearing from our lives for months, letting us think you dead, you cannot simply be proposing to leave _your family_ for some boys you hardly know and some type of new world.”

"Father... I _am_ leaving with them. Jongwoon, as well, as soon as he gets back on his feet. Please don't presume to tell me I don't know them. They could have easily abandoned us once we helped them get back to their home but they didn't and I can't do that to them. And poor Henry, he literally has no one besides the three of us in this world." His father opens his mouth to interrupt but Sungmin cuts him off, drawing a shaky breath before he tells Henry's tale from start to finish, from the slaughter of his family to the years he spent in slavery.

“That boy had to endure more pain and suffering in his first ten years that most people do in their entire lives,” Sungmin says softly as he finishes Henry’s past, noticing that Sungjin looks white as a sheet and even his father looks vaguely horrified. Sungmin’s stomach still turns at the thought of how Henry’s family died, and can’t even bear to think of how he would ever be able to handle it if Sungjin were killed in front of him, it makes him repress a shudder. “And I refuse to abandon him to have to go back to the surface and be alone again, it is not an option.”

"But Sungmin," Sungjin pleads quietly, a note of resignation in his voice but still feeling like he can try to persuade his brother otherwise. "We just got you back. Forgive me if I sound selfish but we already lost Mom to this new world, or at least the idea of it. I don't want to lose my only brother, too. Isn't there any other way?"

“Not one that I know of,” Sungmin sighs, rubbing his temples and frowning at Sungjin bringing up their mother, having hoped to be able to avoid that comparison. His father is eerily silent, so Sungmin focuses on talking to his brother. “And I know that I just got back, but there are other matters that I still need to take care of on the surface as well. There’s much more going on up there than you know right now, and I need to see it through to the end.”

There's a tense silence that hangs over the three of them, Sungmin waiting for his father to say something and Sungjin looking very much like he's about to cry. Sungmin wrings his hands together under the table, hating to be the cause of such disappointment as it is so clear on his father's face, until the Elder finally heaves a heavy sigh. "You've changed, my son. Whether it was those boys or living in that place... you've really changed."

“I know,” Sungmin murmurs, and it hits him just how much he really has changed since leaving here so many months ago. It’s almost hard to believe how far he’s come, and he thinks he prefers this to if he’d never met Henry and Ryeowook, he knows then that he’d never have grown as much as he has now, and that his life wouldn’t be nearly so fulfilling. “I’ve done a lot of growing over these months, I’d like to think that you’d finally be proud of me, father."

The Elder doesn't say anything for a long moment, conflicting emotions raging clear in his eyes despite the stoic expression on his face. "Luzo must have something in mind for you that I cannot see, Sungmin," he says after a while. Sungmin holds his breath as the words arrange themselves in his father's head before the man speaks them. "But... I must ask if you're sure about this. You know that you will never be able to come back here."

“I’m sure,” Sungmin says without any hesitation in his voice. He knew that this would be the case, but he knows that the only people that would really miss him would be his family, and possibly Jongwoon’s and Jungsu. It’s nothing compared to who he’d be without if he stayed though, and he would never want Henry to have to live here either. “I’ve thought this through, father. It’s not that I want to leave you and Sungjin, it’s just, I know that my path lies on the surface.”

"I suppose there's no changing your mind then, is there," the Elder replies softly, no longer sounding angry but just tired. "You are an adult, Sungmin. I'll do my best to give Jongwoon time to heal before they seal up the entrance. Luzo knows I've done enough antagonizing in your life." Sungmin lets go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding and Sungjin grips the edge of the table, eyes shining brightly.

“Thank you, father,” Sungmin murmurs softly, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders that his father isn’t going to fight him on this, that he’s finally going to let Sungmin do what he thinks is best for himself. His eyes soften as he notices Sungjin’s tears dripping on the table, and he knows that he’ll need to talk to his younger brother alone as well. “I really appreciate it. And... I know you always meant the best for me over the years, thank you for that.”

Sungmin’s father simply smiles tiredly, standing and laying a hand on Sungmin’s shoulder, saying quietly _I’ll be retiring for the night, we’ll talk more about this in the morning_ before walking down the hallway. Sungmin worries for Henry for a moment, but brushes it off as he’s sure his father won’t even speak to the boy this time, and is left at the table with Sungjin, his brother still staring resolutely at the wood.

"Jinnie," Sungmin says softly, calling his brother by his childhood nickname and scooting his chair closer to his little brother. "Jinnie, look at me." Sungjin doesn't move, though, his knuckles white from where he grips the edge of the table in a vice grip, tears sliding down his face. Sungmin sighs and reaches to pull his little brother into his arms, and as soon as Sungjin feels his brother's arms around him he breaks, sobs he'd been trying to choke escaping his mouth.

“You’re really leaving, aren’t you?” Sungjin sobs, burying his face in his older brother’s shoulder. He knows he’s never been close to his brother like Jongjin is with Jongwoon, but he loves his brother dearly and the thought of never seeing him again chokes him, more tears streaming down his face and soaking into Sungmin’s shirt.

“I am, but you’ll be okay, Jinnie,” Sungmin whispers, stroking his little brother’s hair and shushing him gently. His heart hurts that it’s his fault that Sungjin is like this, but he still doesn’t regret his decision, though he knows he’ll miss his brother. He simply squeezes the boy tighter, Sungjin continuing to cry against his shoulder. “You’re big and strong now, you don’t need me here to watch out for you. Don’t cry, even though I won’t be with you I’ll still be your big brother.”

"But why do you even have to go?" Sungmin hiccups, trying and failing miserably to keep a steady voice. "I don't even care about taking over Father's place as Elder, I just don't want to lose you again! I thought you were dead before and that was bad enough, but now you're leaving us forever because of _him_? Are we not worth it to stay, Sungmin? Am I not worth it?"

“No, oh Luzo, Sungjin, you are absolutely worth it,” Sungmin says quickly, heart dropping that Sungjin would think he would leave him for that reason. He stays silent for a moment, not knowing how to respond, because he knows it certainly looks like he’s just deciding to choose Henry over his family. “It’s not that easy, it’s not just Henry either. There’s other things that are so much bigger than all of us happening up there, they need me. And I’m really all that Henry has anyway, I can’t just leave him like that.”

"Sungmin, don't play me for stupid, I know how you feel about him," Sungjin spits out bitterly, ignoring the way Sungmin tenses. "I know why you're choosing him over us and it hurts because it's been, what? Three, four months since you met him and already you love him more than us," Sungjin continues, his voice trailing away into nothing as sobs envelop him again. "You're leaving us behind for him, and... and you might as well be dead! Thinking you were dead hurt less than this, Min!" The betrayal in Sungjin's voice stabs through Sungmin's heart like a thousand knives and it only makes him hug his younger brother closer.

“You’re right that I love him, but don’t assume that I love him more,” Sungmin whispers harshly, clutching Sungjin to him tightly as his younger brother all but slumps against him, all the anger lying in his voice and not his body language. He pulls away slightly to rub Sungjin’s tears away with his sleeve, smiling softly at him. “Love is not something you can simply rank, I love the both of you in different ways. But I’ll tell you one thing, Sungjin, he _needs_ me more, and I need him. I know you don’t want to admit it, but you don’t need me any more. You’re my baby brother and I love you dearly, but you’ll do fine without me, I know you will.”

"It's just not fair," Sungjin sniffles, not looking his older brother in the eye. He doesn't care that's he's acting petulant for his age, for once wanting to be allowed to act like a child. "It's not fair that he can just show up and take you away from us. I just got my brother back and now he's taking you away again." Sungjin adamantly refuses to admit that he doesn't need Sungmin anymore because he loves his brother and doesn't want to lose him.

“Jinnie, life isn’t fair,” Sungmin sighs, reverting back to Sungjin’s nickname as his younger brother seems to almost pout. He maneuvers Sungjin until he’s looking him in the eye before he speaks again, trying to get his brother to listen to him. “And Henry isn’t ‘taking’ me anywhere, I’m leaving here because it’s what I need to do for myself. But I’m not leaving you you know, I’ll always be right here whenever you need me, unless of course you plan on forgetting about me?” Sungmin points at Sungjin’s chest, trying for a bit of a lighter tone.

"It's not the same," Sungjin mumbles, leaning back down on Sungmin's shoulder and trying to commit everything about his brother to memory. Every time Sungmin opens his mouth to speak Sungjin's hopes get crushed further and further, and so he resigns to never letting go of his brother's memory. At least, he thinks mournfully, this time around he has the chance to say goodbye. He has to remind himself that his brother isn't dying but he may as well be.

“I know it’s not, Jinnie,” Sungmin murmurs, holding his brother tightly and rocking him slightly as the tears finally slow, but still feeling the sadness radiating off his brother. He wishes there was something he could say or do to help his brother, but he isn’t sure that’s in his power right now. “But it’s the best we’ve got. And I’ll miss you too, you know? I only have one crybaby little brother.”

He smiles succeeds in getting a teary laugh, a fist against his chest and a mutter of _I’m not a crybaby_. He and Sungjin sit like that a bit more, Sungmin humming softly as his younger brother clutches him, seeming to be afraid that he’ll disappear right then if he even lets go of him for a moment. Sungmin finally picks them up from the table when he feels Sungjin start to doze against his shoulder, set to carry his brother off to his room and tuck him in, not realizing how late it is. He hopes that Henry hasn’t gotten worried waiting for him, but he lets his focus rest on his younger brother, shushing him as they go down the hallway.

Sungjin grips on to Sungmin's shirt, even though he's fallen asleep, and Sungmin has to gently coax his fingers from the fabric as he lays his brother down on the bed. He sighs as he wipes up the last of the tears from his Sungjin's face, pulling the blanket up over him and letting the poor boy rest. He runs an tired hand through his hair as he finally gets to his room, Henry sitting on the bed fidgeting nervously.

“I’m sorry that took so long,” Sungmin murmurs, walking over to sit down next to Henry heavily, feeling nearly exhausted as all the days emotions begin taking their toll on him, lowering his head so that it rests in his hands. He hears Henry clear his throat awkwardly but doesn’t read in too far, continuing to mumble to himself. “Sungjin didn’t take my leaving well, he’s only just fallen asleep. I hope it wasn’t too boring for you while I was out there at least?”

"Not exactly," Henry admits, his voice a little nercous, and Sungmin looks up, eyebrow raised. "Your father, uh, came in while you were talking to your brother." Sungmin's eyes widen and he nearly trips over himself in his haste to give Henry a thorough check over, quietly exclaiming _Luzo, Henry, you should have called for me, I'd have come right away, he didn't hurt you, right?_. Henry has to catch Sungmin's face in his hands and force him to look him in the eye to get his attention.

“Sungmin, stop,” He says gently, smiling softly to try and ease some of the panic from older man’s eyes. He himself probably would have been terrified not too long ago if someone told him that Sungmin’s father was going to come talk to him alone, but he’s okay this time, and he wants Sungmin to understand that. “Everything was fine. He... he just came to say that he’s sorry for what happened to me the in the past and thanked me for bringing you back to them safely, and then he left. I’m perfectly fine, see?”

Sungmin can scarcely believe that the same man he grew up with actually _apologized_ to anyone, let alone to an outsider, his eyes wide and disbelieving as he searches Henry's face for any sign of a little white lie. He knows Henry wouldn't tell him even if his father had actually done something to him but all he sees in Henry's eyes is honesty and love, and he sags in relief, putting both hands over Henry's on his face. "Thank heavens."

“He really does just want the best for you, it’s something that we have in common,” Henry murmurs, thumbs stroking of Sungmin’s cheeks as he leans in, resting his forehead against the older man’s. Sungmin simply hums and nods, leaning into Henry’s touch more. These times have made Henry appreciate the quiet moments that they get to spend together much more, and he relishes in being able to simply feel Sungmin against him, scooting a little closer.

They sit like that for a while, just basking in each other's presence, and Sungmin feels his eyes begin to droop. "I guess Ryeowook managed to coerce Jungsu into letting him stay with Jongwoon for the night," he murmurs quietly and Henry hums in agreement. "Better for us, then, I guess. It means we get the bed tonight." Henry chuckles under his breath and nods, scooting the covers aside and laying them both down on the pillow, foreheads still touching.

“Sungjin knows about us anyway, I guess it won’t make of a difference what our sleeping arrangements are anymore,” Sungmin continues, eyes managing to stay open to examine Henry’s face, the younger man’s eyes closed as he hums softly. Henry looks so much younger than he is when his eyes are closed, and Sungmin can’t help but run his thumb over the creases beside them, smoothing them out as Henry’s eyes flutter back open. “Feel free to be as close as you’d like.”

"In that case," Henry murmurs, before leaning in to capture Sungmin's lips in a warm, gentle kiss. Sungmin melts at the feel of Henry's lips against his, this being the first time they've kissed since this whole ordeal started even though they've both been itching to, especially when faced with the danger that they had. They're both quiet, knowing that Sungmin's father is still just down the hall but they don't care, the kiss soft and chaste until Henry pulls away. "Rest well, Min."

“With you next to me, how couldn’t I?” Sungmin chuckles, but his eyes are sincere, wrapping an arm around Henry’s waist to pull him closer, Henry burying his face in his shoulder. Sungmin feels lips smile against his neck as they get comfortable, and he presses another kiss to Henry’s hair, eyes drooping close even as he returns the sentiments. He barely registers when Henry manages to pull the blanket over them, losing himself to his dreams, content and surrounded by Henry’s warmth. “Sleep well, Henry.”

...

"Are you _sure_ you're okay to walk?" Jongjin asks as Jongwoon puts the last layer of clothes on, tying up the outer cloak from the inn securely around his neck. Jongwoon resists the urge to roll his eyes and nods, ruffling his little brother's hair fondly, swallowing the lump in his throat when he sees how hard Jongjin is trying not to cry. The younger boy and his parents had taken the news of his departure about as well as expected, but they were understanding when he told them that if he didn't return, the miners might come back and that he wanted to stop it at all costs.

“I’m sure, I’ve spent enough time lying around in bed,” Jongwoon smiles, and he finally opens his arms for Jongjin to hug him, arms squeezing him as tightly as he dares, still aware of Jongwoon’s healing injuries. Jongwoon simply smiles sadly, patting down his younger brother’s hair and hugging him back weakly. “It’s about time I get out of here and do something, between Jungsu and Ryeowook I’ve hardly made it out of the room.”

"I understand that," Jongjin murmurs into Jongwoon's shoulder. "Doesn't mean I don't wish you would stay." He leans back and blinks back tears, putting on a brave face for his older brother. "You're bundled up warm enough, right? From what I heard from some of the other boys it was damn cold up there when they went to fight."

"It's not always like that," Jongwoon chuckles as he nods. "It's just the time of year that everything's cold. The snow will start to melt in a couple of months." Jongjin nods like he understands but Jongwoon knows he doesn't, snow and even rain and the sun a novel idea to the boy. He can't help a fond sigh when he remembers seeing rain for the first time with Sungmin, wanting to laugh at how paranoid they'd been that they would be struck down by Luzo.

“Still, promise you’ll be careful,” Jongjin mumbles, always worried for his brother, especially after his last incident. He knows that he’ll probably be fine on the surface, and that Ryeowook will take care of Jongwoon, but it doesn’t stop him from still worrying. Jongwoon just smiles and ruffles his hair again. “I really do worry for you, Jongwoon.”

“I will be, don’t worry,” Jongwoon says reassuringly, holding his brother tight once more before letting him go, wiping away a tear that managed to slip through. Jongjin sniffles softly and Jongwoon knows he’s barely keeping himself from crying, proud that his brother is still hanging on. “I have a lot of people looking out for me, I’ll be fine. You’ll be okay too, alright? You’ve made it without me before, you can do it again.”

"That sounds so awful," Jongjin sniffles, but he nods dutifully. Jongwoon has enough on his plate now, and the last thing Jongjin wants to do is give his brother one more thing to worry about, wondering if Jongjin will be able to hold it together. "I'll take good care of Mom and Dad. At least this time I know you're alive. I actually get to say goodbye this time," he says with a teary laugh, throat hitching only just a little.

“That you do,” Jongwoon says softly, knowing how hard this is on his brother and still feeling slightly bad about doing this to him. But even through the tears, Jongjin’s eyes are determined, and Jongwoon can’t help but smile, wiping away all his younger brother’s tears and shushing him gently. “And I know you’ll take good care of them, you’re all grown up now, Jongjin. You can do all of this on your own, I’m leaving all my duties to you now. Give me a smile before I go, okay?”

Jongjin manages to pull a teary half-grin, and Jongwoon smiles warmly back, reminded of the mischievous little boy he grew up with. He grabs the bundle of food his mother had prepared for him, having already said his goodbyes to his parents before his mother retreated into the house weeping, his father following to console her with one last hug for Jongwoon. Jongjin slings his arm around Jongwoon's shoulder in a half hug, glad that he at least gets this opportunity. "You have the gift, too, right?" Jongwoon scoffs and pats his pocket, and now Jongjin smiles for real. "Then I haven't anything left to say except, Luzo be with you wherever your travels take you, brother."

“And you as well, little brother,” Jongwoon says softly, smiling back warmly at Jongjin and pulling him in for one last hug, finally at peace with being able to leave his family, knowing that’ll be all right. “Whatever path might be laid out for you, I know you’ll be able to handle it. You’re my brother after all, and you must share my fantastic genes for being able to come out of trouble. Live well, Jongjin.”

“I will,” Jongjin says determinedly, squeezing his brother tightly one last time before turning back to their house, giving one last wave to Jongwoon and smiling genuinely, knowing that this is what will make his brother happiest. Jongwoon’s answering smile is brilliant, and Jongjin thinks he’s never seen him this happy, and this really is the right decision for him. “Goodbye, Jongwoon.”

Jongwoon stands and waits for Jongjin to disappear behind the door, swallowing his own fond tears before he turns and hurries to the geysers where he knows Ryeowook, Henry and Sungmin are waiting. The weight of the ring in his pocket bounces against his leg with every step and he can't wait to get a moment alone with Ryeowook to give it to him. He sighs heavily as he casts one last look at the sleepy town, just barely past the waking hour, as he knows this is the last time he will ever see it. In all honesty he's glad he's had this chance, to settle things with the towns and part on his own terms. With a final glance, he rounds the corner to the geyser.

Jongwoon waves as he sees them all standing around the entrance to the tunnel, Henry and Ryeowook having been discussing something in hushed voices as Sungmin listened. Jongwoon’s entrance goes unnoticed until he’s practically next to them, clearing his throat and making them jump. Ryeowook’s head snaps up immediately, and he all but runs over to Jongwoon, checking him over to make sure he’s still okay and eyes softening when he sees the lingering sadness in the older man’s eyes.

"Oh, Jongwoon," he says softly, brushing the bangs out of the other man's eyes. Henry and Sungmin exchange a glance before Sungmin motions to the tunnel, muttering _we'll wait for you up top, just don't be too long_ to give Jongwoon and Ryeowook their space. "Are you sure you want to do this? I'll understand if you don't want to leave your family, I can handle things in the Capitol on my own if you--"

"Ryeowook," Jongwoon interrupts, taking Ryeowook's hand in his and linking their fingers together. "I honestly don't think I've ever been more sure about anything in my life. I'm a better man because I've met you and I wouldn't trade anything if it meant that I wouldn't have you." He laughs a little, leaning forward to touch his forehead to Ryeowook's. "I still can't tell you what it was I've done in my life to ever deserve you, you know. If someone had told me I'd fall in love with a man I don't think I'd have believed them, but here we are."

“Here we are,” Ryeowook repeats softly, blinking in surprise at Jongwoon’s sudden speech, having only been wanting to make sure that this is what he wanted, leaving his family like this. Jongwoon’s words wipe away any doubts that he has, and serve to warm his heart, though he wants to correct that Jongwoon really does deserve so much more than him, leaning into the older man’s touch. He notices Sungmin and Henry going up the entrance themselves from them out of the corner of his eye and is grateful for a private moment, sighing as Jongwoon’s hands squeeze his, looking back into his eyes. “I probably wouldn’t believe anyone who told me you’d fall in love with a man either, let alone me. I thought I would just suffer under forever lost love, but instead I got to have you.”

 

Jongwoon smiles brightly, brighter than Ryeowook's seen in the past few weeks, so much so that his eyes crinkle at the corners. "I think," Jongwoon starts, "that there's something to be said about all the things we've gone through. We've had so much happen to us but we're still here," he swings their linked hands a little bit to emphasize his point. "We could have given up, and we almost did but we made it this far."

“And hopefully we can make it a little farther,” Ryeowook smiles, knowing there’s just a bit farther that they have to go before they’ll be in the clear to live their lives again. He squeezes Jongwoon’s hands tightly as they swing back and forth, and though he is happy to have a moment with the older man, he is a bit confused as to why he’d choose now of all times to tell him these things. “But why all the sentimentality now, Jongwoon? Not that I don’t appreciate it, of course.”

"Well," Jongwoon says, suddenly very meek. He loosens his fingers from Ryeowook's and reaches into his pocket, pulling out the ring and keeping it hidden in his palm. "I was kind of hoping we could go more than just a little farther." He takes Ryeowook's hand again with his opposite hand and presses the ring into it, heart pounding as Ryeowook's breath hitches. "This ring has been passed down in my family for generations, and traditionally the eldest son gives it to the one he is sure he wants to spend his life with."

“Oh, Jongwoon,” Ryeowook breathes, heart pounding in his chest as he can feel the cool metal weighing down his palm, glancing down to see the simple ring only for a moment before looking back at Jongwoon, the older man looking incredibly shy all of the sudden. Ryeowook can’t help the smile that spreads across his face as he thinks of how much this ring means to Jongwoon, means to his family, and he’s giving it to _him_ of all people, his heart feeling full enough to burst. “You really want to give this to me? You’re sure?”

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life," Jongwoon repeats, eyes shining with love and sincerity, and Ryeowook has to suppress the touched tears that threaten to spring to his eyes. Ryeowook clenches his hand around the ring before throwing his arms around Jongwoon's neck, pressing a delighted kiss to the older man's lips. Jongwoon smiles into the kiss, letting his arms settle around Ryeowook's waist and pulls the younger man closer, relishing in their shared warmth.

Ryeowook kisses Jongwoon breathless, and pulls back only an inch when he does, letting Jongwoon see the sheer happiness that spreads over his face. Jongwoon’s nerves melt away as he feels the love radiating off Ryeowook, keeping his hands settled on Ryeowook’s waist, pressing their foreheads back together. “But just so you know,” Ryeowook says suddenly, looking very serious though the mirth in his eyes give him away. “Just because you’re giving me a ring doesn’t mean I’m a woman here, I’ll be finding something for you too.”

Jongwoon can't help but laugh quietly at the seriousness in which Ryeowook declares he's not a woman, knowing that once Ryeowook starts wearing the ring Henry and Sungmin will never let him live it down. He decides not to give Ryeowook too much slack for it now, murmuring _you got it_ before pecking him once more. They link their hands again and start up the tunnel, silently agreeing that they don't want to keep Henry and Sungmin waiting too long, Jongwoon going in first so that in the off chance he should slip Ryeowook can catch him.

Ryeowook looks down at their linked hands as they walk, hoping that Jongwoon is watching the rocky floor carefully so that he won’t trip, and takes a moment to examine the ring more carefully. It’s very simple, not very flashy at all save the single band of lueuror circling the center, and he thinks that it truly is a beautiful work of craftsmanship. He has to snort when he notices the fit is for that of a woman’s hand, though, and thinks that it’ll either have to be refitted or at least hung on a necklace until then. Still, even the thought of being able to wear something so important to Jongwoon warms him, and he thinks he wouldn’t mind this kind of _marriage_ of sorts at all.

He clutches the ring tight in his hand, not wanting to lose it until he has the chance to put it on a chain. The light from the morning sun filters through the tunnel as they near the top, and Ryeowook looks on in worry at the way Jongwoon winces as he pulls himself out. "I'm fine, don't worry," Jongwoon assures, "it's only the cold, I'll be all right."

“Just say something if you start to get tired, or even don’t feel very well, alright?” Ryeowook frets, and Sungmin and Henry coming to view as they climb out, seeming to laugh at Ryeowook as he pats Jongwoon down, making sure he’s still okay. Ryeowook just pouts at Jongwoon’s _yes mother,_ grumbling to himself as they make their way over to where Sungmin and Henry stand, all of them bundled up for the cold weather and offering smiles to each other.

"So," Sungmin says quietly, smiling but his eyes betraying the nervousness in his voice. "This is where we split up, then?" There's a collective nod and he sighs, pulling the cloak he had filched from the manor tighter around his form. "Then I guess this is goodbye. Henry and I will head to the Port Town, maybe Youngwoon will be understanding and give me my job back. I'm sure that the cafe owner will take Henry back, no one can resist his cute face," he teases, trying to lighten the suddenly somber mood.

“And we’ll be off to the Capitol, and hope everything is still going well and we can put Lord Kim away for good,” Jongwoon says solidly, glad that at least all of them have a plan and destination in mind. He almost can’t believe that they’re splitting now, after so long of traveling and being together, even when they were apart before, this just feels so... final to him. He smiles anyway, chuckling a bit at Sungmin’s logic. “With all luck everything will be sorted, though I don’t expect it to be like that. I can’t say I don’t envy the two of you a bit, getting that house to yourselves again.”

"You'll be following us as soon as you can, right?" Henry asks, turning to Ryeowook with wide eyes. He knew that Ryeowook and Jongwoon needed to sort out the situation with Jinseon and the Lord but it hadn't really ever crossed his mind that Ryeowook might have to stay there. It hits him almost squarely in the face that if they actually manage to get the Lord arrested, Ryeowook will be the only one able to step up to the plate of the ruling Lord. "...right?"

“We’ll certainly try our best,” Ryeowook says, smiling weakly as he thinks of the possible mess that could await them back at the Capitol. He honestly doesn’t know how to answer Henry, because as much as he’d like to promise they’d all be back together soon enough, he really can’t say anything without seeing the situation, he might have to be in the Capitol for months or even longer. “I hope that I won’t have to be there for too long, or God forbid have to take on the title of Lord, but I can’t really promise anything just yet.”

"Just don't you two do anything stupid," Sungmin tries to joke, knowing that if Jinseon failed to get help to the manor that Jongwoon and Ryeowook could very well be marching to their deaths, or at the very least, Jongwoon might be. "If you need any help send for me, I'll come as quickly as I can." Henry opens his mouth to agree but Sungmin stops him. "Henry, you know you can't go back to the Capitol."

“I’m not just going to stand idly by and worry about you until you deign to come back home like some simple housewife if our friends are in danger,” Henry says sharply, glaring at Sungmin as even the thought of having to have this arrangement is because of everyone’s desire to keep him away from the Capitol. It makes him feel like he’s dragging everyone down, and he hates it, eyes boring holes into the ground. “It’s simply not going to happen like that.”

"Of course it's not," Jongwoon says diplomatically, interrupt their lovers' spat. "Sungmin, I appreciate the gesture and I know Ryeowook does too, but that would defeat the purpose of us splitting up. Henry is your main priority now, we'll be able to take care of things. I didn't survive this last brush with death to lose so easily to the likes of Lord Kim. We'll be alright."

“Fine,” Sungmin says reluctantly, still nervous for his friends, though Ryeowook nods in agreement with Jongwoon, seeming determined that they’ll be able to handle it on their own. Sungmin knows that Henry isn’t very happy with him now either, and smiles sheepishly at the younger man, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “Just try not to get into too much trouble, I know how our luck usually is. Take care of each other.”

Ryeowook takes one look at Henry and sees the worried look on the younger boy's face, no doubt feeling terrified about his best friend having to take on his uncle. It hits him that this will be the first time since he first met the younger boy all those years ago that he won't be near constantly at his side for any extended length of time. Even the few days that they were separated these past weeks were the longest days that he's gone without seeing his friend and he knows this is going to bother the younger boy, so he holds out his arms open. Sungmin nudges Henry, and the younger boy all but runs to hug his friend. "Please be careful," he whispers, hugging Ryeowook tight.

“I will be, and you too, alright?” Ryeowook says softly, hugging Henry tightly and feeling the younger man nod, face buried in his shoulder as he commits Ryeowook’s feel to memory. He knows that he’ll miss Henry terribly and has to blink back tears for a moment, squeezing Henry as tightly as he can. “I know you’ve got Sungmin now, but I still worry about you, Henry. Hopefully I’ll see you soon, but if not, then it was truly an honor to have been your friend.”

"I owe my life to you, Ryeowook," Henry chokes. "I'll never, ever forget that." Behind him he hears Jongwoon and Sungmin exchanging their farewells in a much more composed manner but he really does feel like he is forever indebted to Ryeowook and he can't help choking up having to say goodbye. "You're a good man, Wook. I hope for nothing but the best for you and Jongwoon."

“Don’t cry now, you’ll make me cry too,” Ryeowook says lightly, hearing how Henry sniffles and it’s like they’re kids again, when the only people they could ever rely on were each other. But he knows that isn’t true now, and they have people that love them enough to go through hell for them, but it doesn’t make him feel any less protective of Henry. He finally lets him go from the hug to hold him by the shoulders, smiling gently. “You’re a better man than I am, Henry, and you deserve happiness. And I know you’ll be happy with Sungmin, so try to stay out of trouble, okay?”

Henry nods, wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes and putting on a brave face for his friend. He sees Jongwoon pull Sungmin into a tight hug himself despite all his wounds and decides that he must be the luckiest person in the world to have these three men in his life. They've become his surrogate family, and though Henry knows they'll never fill the place of his real family, their presence and their friendships makes the loss more bearable.

Jongwoon and Sungmin hug a moment longer, enough years between them that they really don’t need too many words to say their goodbyes. Jongwoon almost feels like he’s saying goodbye to his brother all over again, Sungmin all but a member of his own family at this point. He smiles brightly as they part though, shoving Sungmin’s shoulder as he wishes him all the luck in the world, wanting nothing more than his best friend to be happy from now on.

With little more than a few shaky breaths and shared smiles, the four of them wave goodbye and turn their separate ways. Henry immediately latches on to Sungmin's hand as they walk away, and Sungmin squeezes it comfortingly, not daring to let himself look over his shoulder even once, knowing that he'd just be making it harder on himself. Going in the opposite direction, Ryeowook leans into Jongwoon's side, the older man putting a comforting arm around Ryeowook's shoulder.

The distance between them grows wider, each carving their own paths for themselves from now on. There's a sky between them now, but a whole world ahead of them. They know they'll miss each other, and they don't know if they'll ever see them again, but all they can do now is keep plowing forward. And they do, without a second glance back.

THE END.


	22. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of turmoil; friends are reunited at long last.

The late summer air is still scorchingly hot at midday as the sun bears down from the clear sky, though thankfully there is a cool breeze that serves to cool them down. Ryeowook and Jongwoon are stopped by the river's edge for a bit of a lunch break, snacking on some bread that they'd packed when they finally left the Capitol. Lunch is a quiet affair, them just relishing in the quiet they finally have after so many months of dealing with chaos.

“It’s finally quiet,” Ryeowook sighs, leaning over to sag against Jongwoon’s shoulder, the older man nodding happily at the sentiment. It’d been over half a year that they’d had to spend in the Capitol, tying up loose ends and taking care of all of Ryeowook’s affairs, and the both of them had been more than ready to leave by the time everything was settled. “I really hate the Capitol, you know. Too much noise, too much to do. Too many appearances to keep up.”

"At least it's finally over," Jongwoon murmurs, scooting Ryeowook so that the smaller man sits in his lap, and wraps his arms around the slender waist. "It's very fortunate that Jinseon's father was much more agreeable this time around when it came to Jinseon choosing who to be betrothed to." Ryeowook nods, letting his eyes slide shut as he tries to suppress a shiver, the recollection of the many weeks of arguing with the courts about the validity of his marriage to the woman plaguing his thoughts. Jongwoon seems to sense this and presses a soft kiss to the crown of Ryeowook's head. "It was a beautiful wedding, wasn't it?"

“It was, they really are happy together,” Ryeowook says softly, content to rest against Jongwoon and enjoy the sun shining on his face. A smile comes to his lips as he thinks of Jinseon and Siwon’s wedding, even the King was in attendance to see the wedding in the beautiful cathedral, couple having been beaming as they walked down the aisle hand in hand. It was like all of them were finally able to breathe again, everything seeming to be over. “Siwon is lucky to have such a strong woman by his side. Though, I have to say I’m the luckiest in all this, I get to have you after all.”

"I could argue a disagreement, I think I'm luckiest since _I_ get _you_ ," Jongwoon counters teasingly, cringing a bit when Ryeowook's elbow playfully meets his gut. "We really owe them a lot though. Jinseon makes a fine ruling Lady, I'm sure all of the citizens of the estate can breathe easy to have such a kind woman in power. I'm grateful they were willing to take over the helm, her and Siwon both."

“You’re an idiot,” Ryeowook laughs softly, laying his hands to rest over Jongwoon’s on his waist. He really is thankful that Jinseon was willing to keep the position of Lady and spare him from having to inherit the Lord title. He’s sure it would have sent him to an early grave if he had to take on all of it, ready to simply leave everything be and start anew, thankful that Jinseon was willing to respect that. “We really do owe them for that though, I’m not sure I would have been able to last there if I had to take over my Uncle’s title.”

"It certainly beats the prospect of being a housewife, does it not?" Jongwoon chuckles, ignoring Ryeowook's scoff. "I'm kidding. In all seriousness though, we left those matters in very capable hands. She seemed eager to prove herself, in any case. And she's got a good support system at her side, what with Siwon and his brother and their troop."

“She’ll do just fine, if she made it through this then she’s about set for anything her title will entail,” Ryeowook says, sure of his words. He knows that Jinseon is capable, and anything she wouldn’t be able to do Siwon is surely equipped for, plenty of loyal men under him and willing to support the Lady in whatever she may need. “Pity about Siwon’s brother though, I guess he’ll have to settle for helping out Jinseon from the inside with his knee like that.”

They both cringe a bit at the memory of their first meeting with the young man, the sadness in his eyes even as he tried to put on a brave face for everyone. To be crippled for life at such a young age is a tragedy, and Ryeowook feels so guilty that the injury happened on account of his uncle. Needless to say, as soon as he had the chance, Ryeowook had the guard who shot the arrow severely punished. "He's extremely intelligent, though, from what Jinseon was saying," Jongwoon says suddenly, trying to push off of that topic. "Perhaps he'll make a good tactician for his brother one day."

“I’m sure, he doesn’t seem like one who likes being idle for long,” Ryeowook mumbles, yawning slightly as the midday heat beats down on him, the heat of the day and Jongwoon’s arms around him almost putting him to sleep. “But in any case, I’m sure they’re all be fine, all of them are perfectly capable and I entrust everything to them. Now the only ones we have to worry about are ourselves.”

Jongwoon hums in agreement, closing his eyes and leaning forward to rest his chin on Ryeowook's shoulder. "It seems almost surreal, that we're finally able to leave all that behind." There's a silence that's not uncomfortable, but Ryeowook gets the feeling Jongwoon has more to say, so he patiently waits, giving the man the chance to sort out his thoughts. He's known Jongwoon long enough to know when he needs a moment. "Do you ever," Jongwoon finally starts slowly, stopping mid sentence and starting again. "Do you still think about Kyuhyun?"

“Kyuhyun?” Ryeowook’s eyes come back open and he twists his head to look Jongwoon in the eye, a bit startled by the sudden question. Jongwoon looks slightly abashed when Ryeowook looks at him, but his eyes are serious, and Ryeowook can tell that this is important to Jongwoon. _How long has this been on his mind?_ Ryeowook wonders, thinking carefully before answering. “I do, every now and then. I try not to think too much on the final times that I knew him though. Why?”

Jongwoon tries to mask the disappointment that flits across his face for a quick moment but Ryeowook catches it anyway, frowning when Jongwoon mumbles _never mind, just forget I asked. It's not really important_. Ryeowook crawls out of Jongwoon's lap and sits cross-legged across from him, tilting his head so that he can catch his lover's gaze. "Hey," he says, gently taking Jongwoon by the shoulders. "Whatever's bothering you, Jongwoon, you can tell me. You're always important to me, always."

“I know, I know,” Jongwoon says softly, averting his eyes from Ryeowook’s as embarrassment colors his cheeks, suddenly feeling so stupid for even bringing it up. He knows that Ryeowook loves him, can see it every time he looks at him, but every now and then his lover gets a far away look in his eyes, and Jongwoon can’t help but wonder if he wishes things had gone differently. “I’m an idiot, that’s all. But... do you ever wish that things had gone differently? That you’d have still been able to be with him? I know how much you loved him.”

Ryeowook can't say he's surprised by the question, as he's often thought about it himself. But he really can't bring himself to wish that he could change the past. "Not at all," he says confidently, and Jongwoon's head snaps up, eyes wide. "What happened to Kyuhyun was cruel, but I can't dwell on the past because it will only drive me mad. Besides, I wouldn't have met you if I were still were with him." Ryeowook smiles fondly, remembering the happiest moments he had with his late lover.

"I feel like he wouldn't want me to linger on the past," he continues, squeezing Jongwoon's shoulders reassuringly. "I even think maybe, just maybe it was him who had a part in me meeting you. I blamed myself for his death for so long, until I met you. You made me see that it wasn't my fault, and it makes me think he sent me to you, or vice versa." Ryeowook chuckles a bit, wiping a stray tear that made its way to the corner of his eye. "He could be a brat but he always had my best interests at heart."

“It’s loving him that allowed me to learn, to be able to love you better,” He says softly, turning his eyes away from Jongwoon’s for a moment, conscious not to let the memories overwhelm him again. Jongwoon’s ring burns where it rests on his chest, over his heart, and he has to stop himself from clutching it, small smile beginning to pull at his lips. He takes a deep breath before looking at Jongwoon again, moving his hands down to hold the older man’s hands, eyes shining. “It’s what he would have wanted anyway. Maybe he was even an angel looking out for you when we were underground, I don’t know any other explanation for how you came back to me there. I may have been able to weather losing Kyuhyun, but God, if I ever lost you Jongwoon... I don’t know what I’d do. I’m willing to bet he knows that, and I believe he was watching out for you.”

The raw emotion in Ryeowook's voice plagues Jongwoon's conscience, and guilt gnaws at him for even bringing the topic up. "I'm sorry," he whispers, squeezing Ryeowook's hands tightly as he feels little tears drop on the backs of his palms. "I should never have doubted you, Wook, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Ryeowook murmurs with a smile, wiping his tears away. "You have every right to know. I promised you, no more secrets, right?" he leans forward and presses a chaste kiss on Jongwoon's cheek, taking his place back in the older man's lap and tilting his chin up to the sun, soaking the warmth on his face. "Wherever he is, I think he's given us his blessing. I'll never forget Kyuhyun or the love that I once held for him. But know, Jongwoon, that all the love in my heart is for you and you alone now."

“What did I ever do to deserve you,” Jongwoon finally murmurs, resting his head on Ryeowook’s shoulder again, tilting his face to lay a soft kiss on the younger man’s neck, an apology for asking such a thing of Ryeowook. He truly doesn’t know what he ever did to warrant having Ryeowook’s heart, or if indeed Kyuhyun is watching over him then what ever made him think him to be deserving of it. He squeezes Ryeowook a bit tighter, and soaks in every piece of his presence, knowing they should set off again soon but not quite wanting to let go of Ryeowook yet. “You know you have my whole heart as well, Ryeowook. I meant it when I gave you that ring, I intend to stay with you to the end of my days, or as long as you’ll have me.”

"Always," Ryeowook replies, leaning back into Jongwoon's embrace. "Always." They stay like that for a while more, before deciding that the day isn't getting any younger and they're only a few hours outside of Port Town, packing up their belongings and setting back out. They walk along the river path hand in hand, fingers linked and arms swaying slightly between them as they journey in a comfortable silence.

...

The port town is as bustling as it ever was when they enter, and Jongwoon can’t help but snicker when he remembers how they gained entrance the first time, nudging Ryeowook and reminding him of his days as the fair maiden Ryeona. Ryeowook scowls and punches him on the shoulder, tugging self consciously at his hair, having grown back in to the length it used to be, curling just behind his ears.

It does feel good though, Ryeowook has to admit, to be able to walk through the gates of the city with his head held high, instead of sneaking through like he has a bounty on his head. He stops for a second just to relish in the moment, Jongwoon turning back to look at him curiously, eyebrow raised. Ryeowook smiles and shakes his head, scampering a bit to catch up to Jongwoon's stride. They don't admit it aloud, but they're both anxious to get back to that cabin at the ocean's edge.

“I hope they’ve been doing alright,” Ryeowook murmurs as they walk, biting his lip at the thought that anything might have happened to their friends over the time they’d been out of contact, having hoped everything would work out for them. Jongwoon nods in agreement, pulling Ryeowook along as they dart through the alleys, almost to their destination. “It hasn’t been that long since we separated, I suppose, but it’s still enough time for things to go wrong.”

"That's no way to plan a joyous reunion," Jongwoon teases, though in the back of his mind he secretly thinks the same thing. He shakes his head a bit to himself, scolding himself for thinking such things, instead focusing on how surprised Sungmin and Henry will be to see them after all this time. He squeezes Ryeowook's hand in reassurance and smiles brightly as the cabin finally comes into sight.

Ryeowook gives Jongwoon one last nervous glance before knocking quickly, waiting anxiously for an answer. To both their surprise, though, the door remains unanswered, and when pushed on opens, having not even been locked. Ryeowook’s mouth sets in a line as Jongwoon’s eyebrows lift in surprise, the house having obviously been untouched for a good length of time, kitchen empty and dust littered around as they further examine the home.

Upon entering the bedroom Henry and Sungmin had shared before, Ryeowook has to grip onto the doorframe to keep from sinking to his knees. The room itself is pristine except for the layer of dust accumulated, but the closet is empty, and it looks like it was emptied in a hurry. "Oh god..." Ryeowook breathes, trying to control his breathing even as Jongwoon comes up behind him to support him by the shoulders.

“Calm down, we don’t know what happened yet,” Jongwoon says evenly, even though he feels a seed of panic begin to bloom in his chest as well. Ryeowook seems to sag against him, too shocked to even reply for a moment. Jongwoon thinks quickly, trying to think of any reason Henry and Sungmin would have had to leave. “We can ask around, maybe Youngwoon will know where they are, or Henry’s old boss.”

"What if they were taken, Jongwoon?" Ryeowook breathes, not able to hold back the shudder that runs down his spine. "What if someone other than my uncle remembers that awful decree about executing exiles? What if... what if he had something set up before Jinseon took him out of power, another hit? Oh god, if something happened to them, Jongwoon..."

“We don’t know anything yet, stop thinking the worst, Wook,” Jongwoon says softly, trying to get Ryeowook to calm down, pulling him into his arms and shushing him gently. He tries to keep his mind from jumping to the worst conclusion himself, taking a deep breath and trying to reorganize his thoughts. “We’ll find out what happened to them, and we’ll go from there. Calm down, I’m sure they’re okay.”

"Let's go talk to Youngwoon," he continues, stroking Ryeowook's hair as he lets the younger man collect himself. "They had to have seen him, I'd reckon they at least stopped here to take their clothes, wherever it is they've gone. He has to know _something_." He wills the goosebumps that rose on the back of his neck when they entered the empty house to go away, resolutely ignoring the dread in his gut.

“Alright, let’s go,” Ryeowook takes a deep breath and nods slowly, willing his racing mind to calm down and see things logically. He knows that if Henry and Sungmin really did leave of their own will then they were likely to have at least told Youngwoon, if Sungmin had indeed gone back to work for him. Ryeowook pushes all the panicked thoughts to the back of his mind and extricates himself from Jongwoon’s arms, pulling the older man to the docks as quickly as they can go.

The ships are just pulling in for the even when they get there, the vibrant colors of the late summer sky tinting the ocean as sailors shout orders, tossing their catch onto the docks for the final tally. Ryeowook worries they might never find Youngwoon in this madness, but Jongwoon seems to know exactly where he's going, holding tight to Ryeowook's hand so that he doesn't lose him in the crowd.

Jongwoon still remembers where Youngwoon’s office was from the first time that Henry had led he and Sungmin there looking for work, and is relieved that the dock hasn’t seemed to have changed it all in the time that they’d been gone. Youngwoon is easy to spot, still the same intimidating figure that he was before, instructing what seemed to be a captain on his latest course, map in hand. Jongwoon notices the way Ryeowook’s hand tightens a bit around his as the crowd thickens the closer they get to the deck master, and tries to smile reassuringly, hoping that Youngwoon will remember him.

As Jongwoon approaches, Youngwoon happens to look up from his map and spots the two of them. His eyes grow to the size of saucers and he quickly dismisses the captain, shoving the map into his hand and hurrying over to Jongwoon and Ryeowook. "Jongwoon! It's been a while, I'd have thought you'd been done in if I hadn't caught wind of you being in the Capitol."

“I thought I was done for awhile there too,” Jongwoon chuckles, and Ryeowook seems to wilt even more if possible, already eyeing Youngwoon a bit suspiciously. Youngwoon raises and eyebrow at Ryeowook and seems to be getting ready to say something when Jongwoon interrupts, wanting to know about Sungmin and Henry. “And I’m sorry to have left so suddenly like that, and I’d love to chat but we really need to know if you’ve seen Sungmin and Henry around.”

Youngwoon blinks a bit before answering. "Well not recently, they're out to sea right now. There was a long term voyage set to go to the next country over a while back, I haven't seen them since before the spring equinox. Sungmin came back looking for work and Henry asked if I had a place for him when I told them there was a ship going out."

“Henry was actually willing to go on a boat?” Ryeowook mutters to himself, feeling immense relief even though Henry and Sungmin aren’t any closer to being found, relieved that at least they know where they went was of their own volition now. Jongwoon seems to have a weight lifted off his shoulders as well, smile much easier now. “What I wouldn’t have given to see that conversation.”

"You know how Henry is about being left behind," Jongwoon reminds him, missing Youngwoon's raised eyebrow at the younger man. "Between letting Sungmin go off alone for an indeterminate amount of time and braving the sea, I think it's pretty obvious what he'd have done." Jongwoon grins at Ryeowook before turning back to Youngwoon. "Do you know when the ship is due back?"

“Well, it actually came back about two weeks back,” Youngwoon says thoughtfully, fingers stroking his chin as he attempts to remember all of the ship’s timetables. Ryeowook and Jongwoon look a bit anxious at the thought, suddenly wondering why their friends weren’t where they promised they’d stay if the ship had already returned. “But I did get a message passed along from Sungmin, apparently he and Henry were going to stay abroad for awhile, so there’s no telling when _they’ll_ be back really.”

Jongwoon's brow knits in worry and Ryeowook hugs his arms around his chest, hoping that wherever it is that they are, they're safe. As far as they know there are still slave hunters out and about, like the one who captured Henry in the first place. Henry has Sungmin now, Ryeowook reminds himself, but he hopes desperately that their travels are smooth and that they'll come back soon. But now that raises the question, what are he and Jongwoon supposed to do now?

“Well, what are you going to be up to now then, Jongwoon?” Youngwoon asks curiously, same thoughts on his mind as Ryeowook’s. He’d always liked the man while he worked for him, and was curious as to where his future would take him, be it here or elsewhere. His eyes slide to Ryeowook and Jongwoon’s still entwined hands though and his eyebrows raise, sending Jongwoon a wolfish grin. “Are you going traveling with that wife of yours?”

Jongwoon at least has the courtesy to look sheepish as Ryeowook turns a bright shade of red. "Well, um. You're looking at him." Youngwoon's eyebrows shoot into his hairline and Ryeowook buries his face in his hands. "Youngwoon, meet Ryeowook." There's a palpable silence between the three of them as Youngwoon tries to compute the fact that this man is the infamous Ryeona.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you then,” Youngwoon sticks a hand out, recovering rather quickly from the news as Ryeowook stares thunderstruck at the proffered hand. Youngwoon has seen enough strange things over the years that this is practically nothing, and he keeps his hand out until Ryeowook hesitantly shakes it, smiling in a pained manner while glaring at Jongwoon. “You must be the one who made an honest man out of Jongwoon, I was told his ‘wife’ would kill him if he didn’t come back with a job. Congratulations.”

Ryeowook chuckles nervously and Jongwoon knows he's in for it at the absolutely thunderous look he gets from the younger man when Youngwoon isn't paying attention. "He's always been an honest man, we just needed a way to put food on the table, is all. I appreciate your kindness, Youngwoon. Jongwoon and Sungmin have had nothing but good things to say about you."

“Well, I try my best,” Youngwoon laughs heartily, grinning at them both as Jongwoon tries not to think about how he’s surely going to get reamed the moment they leave Youngwoon’s company. They chat a few moments more before Youngwoon sees the line of sailors and captains that seems to have grown behind the two of them, politely excusing himself. “But if you’ll excuse me, there’s more business to be taken care of. Go about your business, and if Sungmin and Henry happen to come back I’ll let them know you were looking.”

"Thank you," Jongwoon nods, and Ryeowook bows a little and thanks Youngwoon for his time. It's dark by the time they leave Youngwoon's office at the pier, Ryeowook steadfastly ignoring Jongwoon the whole way back to the cabin despite the man's best attempts to apologize. By the time they reach the cabin they've fallen into silence, Jongwoon having given up until they were in private to try and nurse Ryeowook's injured pride.

“Ryeowook, you can’t ignore me forever,” Jongwoon sighs once they’re back inside their former home, Ryeowook’s back facing him as the younger man continues to keep silent, and Jongwoon doesn’t miss the slight way his head twitches. Jongwoon catches Ryeowook’s wrist before he can go any further and pulls him back against him, looking him in the eyes and taking in Ryeowook’s unreadable expression with a sheepish look. “Youngwoon is just Youngwoon, it’s nothing to worry about or read too far into.”

"Easy for you to say," Ryeowook mutters with a roll of his eyes, gently prying his wrist out of Jongwoon's grasp and moving for the bedroom, Jongwoon trailing like a puppy behind him. "You're not the one who was humiliated, Jongwoon. You made it sound like I was a slave driver to you, I'll bet Youngwoon thought I was a nag before he actually met me."

“It wasn’t even me who brought it up, it was _Henry_ ,” Jongwoon groans, and he knows he should have foreseen this somehow coming back to bite him. He also should have known Youngwoon would bring it up, but he figures he can mull over his lack over foresight later, trying now to at least get Ryeowook to stop snapping at him. “You know how they were about teasing the two of us then, even when we weren’t together. I know you’re upset about Henry and Sungmin not being here, but please don’t take it out on me.”

Ryeowook sighs, knowing Jongwoon is right about his frustration lying in the wrong place but he can't help the residual embarrassment from that encounter. "Whatever. Let's just drop it, okay? We have to figure out what we're going to do from here." Jongwoon raises his eyebrow in confusion and Ryeowook groans, flopping back on the mattress. "We didn't plan on Sungmin and Henry being gone. So what do we do now? Stay here and wait for them?"

“Well,” Jongwoon starts, sitting down softly on the mattress next to Ryeowook and tilting his head thoughtfully, mulling over what options they have available to them. Jongwoon’s at least happy that Ryeowook’s stopped being petulant, nudging him in the side with his elbow. “We could always just wait, but maybe we could take up Youngwoon’s suggestion of adventuring a bit too? It’s a big world out there, and I’ve hardly seen any of it.”

“Adventuring? That makes it sound like we’re just kids,” Ryeowook chuckles, returning the jab and poking Jongwoon’s hip. Ryeowook’s eyes soften when he realizes how little of his world that Jongwoon really has seen, only knowing the basic beauties, and more horrors than he should. “But I don’t think I’d mind finding some new places with you, it could be fun.”

Jongwoon smiles and scoots closer to Ryeowook, tossing the dust covered pillow to the foot of the bed and moving to lay down beside him. "Then we'll leave tomorrow. We have enough money to stay at inns for a while, right? And it's still decent weather, I should think we have a while before the cold starts to set in. It'll be nice to travel aimlessly for a while, don't you think? Nothing expected of us or anything."

“Nothing expected of us,” Ryeowook echoes, the words sounding just so nice on his ears. Throughout his entire stay at the Capitol with Jongwoon, and practically his entire life was filled with things that he was expected to do. He sighs as he scoots close to Jongwoon, burying his face in the older man’s neck, murmuring softly. “That would be really nice. And we have enough coin to last us a good while, we’ll be fine. Just you and me for once.”

Jongwoon strokes the back of Ryeowook's head lightly, playing with the long strands at the nape of his neck. It's been a long time since they lay together in this bed and Jongwoon can't help but smile softly at feeling the warmth of Ryeowook pressed against him in their cabin, far enough away from the bustle of the port and it's city. It's so much quieter here than in the Capitol where the city never sleeps, and Jongwoon finds himself quickly drifting off to sleep. Ryeowook hears Jongwoon's breathing even out and he smiles, before he too goes to sleep.

_It's finally over_.

...

Henry can hear Sungmin banging around in their back rooms as he fishes for their money, and he shakes his head, thinking that all the stores will be closed by the time they actually manage to get out of the house, calling for Sungmin to hurry up before they grow old.

It’s spring again, and it reminds him of when he stepped on that ship just a year before to go back to his home country with Sungmin, small smile tugging at his face at the memory. Thinking of those times always makes him think of Ryeowook and Jongwoon too, and he wonders how the two of them are doing, chuckling at how Youngwoon had described them when he and Sungmin had returned.

He’s reminiscing as Sungmin finally calls back that he’s found their coin bag, and he’ll be out in a moment. Henry is about to respond when there’s a curious frantic knocking on the door, and his eyebrows raise curiously, yelling to Sungmin that he’ll get it.

The door is hardly open before Henry finds himself mowed down by two little boys, chattering frantically in their attempts to use him as a shield by whatever they're running from. He hears someone yelling, their voice getting louder as they approach the house. "Lu Han, Minseok I told you not to run off! _Get back where I can see you!_ "

“Help, Mama’s gonna kill us,” The one giggles, head peeking out from behind Henry’s waist, the other simply clinging to Henry’s back, not daring to look around him. Henry is stunned for a moment when he realizes that the boy is speaking in his native tongue, but his head snaps back up when he recognizes the sound of that voice in the distance, smile breaking out over his face.

"Sungmin! Get out here, we have company!" he calls over his shoulder, grinning widely as Ryeowook and Jongwoon step in the door and freeze, the two of them obviously not expecting to see him standing there. Ryeowook's eyes widen for a minute before he too busts out in a smile, hurrying to throw his arms around Henry in the biggest hug he can muster.

"Company? But no one knows we're he--" Sungmin calls, only half paying attention until he looks up and sees everyone standing the foyer, and the satchel of coins slips from between his fingers. "Oh, Luzo," he breathes, blinking rapidly to make sure this isn't an illusion. "Jongwoon, Ryeowook, you're... you're back!"

“So are you!” Ryeowook laughs, almost accusingly, hugging Henry tightly before prying the boys cowering behind his friend away, ignoring their rapid fire chatter. Jongwoon hugs Sungmin too, grinning brightly and happy that his friend is actually here this time, having almost fully expected to come back to an empty home again. “You two gave us quite a scare when we came back here to nothing, we thought you’d been kidnapped! But after Youngwoon told us what had happened, well we couldn’t let you have all the traveling fun.”

"Apparently!" Henry chuckles with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows, looking down at the two boys Ryeowook wrestles, even surprised with the (admittedly terrible) attempt Ryeowook makes at speaking his native language to them. "What were you two _up_ to while we were away? How'd you manage to knock Ryeowook up twice, Jongwoon?"

“Good to know you’re still a brat,” Ryeowook growls, answering in Jongwoon’s stead as the other man seems to sense the incoming storm, shaking his head rapidly as Sungmin hides his laughter behind his hand. “And I’ll have you know that they aren’t ours, they aren’t even related.”

“They saved us,” The one says happily, the taller of the two boys now taking to hiding behind him and smiling, whispering something quickly in the smaller of them’s ear. Ryeowook seems to give up on keeping the two contained, letting them scamper over to explore the room. Henry raises an eyebrow, and Ryeowook averts his eyes briefly. “Lu Han says so too, we’d be long gone if it weren’t for Jongwoon and Ryeowook.”

Ryeowook feels Henry and Sungmin staring at him, not needing words to know they want an explanation and he sighs. "Minseok, why don't you and Lu Han go play in the living room? We'll just be in the kitchen, just don't go outside."

"Okay, Mama!" Minseok agrees happily, dragging Lu Han out into the living room and happily ignoring Ryeowook hissing _Don't call me Mama!_ after them. Jongwoon just sighs as he herds them into the kitchen before the suspense throttles them all.

“ _Saved them_ then?” Henry asks softly, raising an eyebrow at Ryeowook and Jongwoon as he can take a guess of where Minseok and Lu Han came from. “And they speak my native tongue as well. Don’t tell me, Ryeowook, those two were...”

“Slaves, yes,” Jongwoon sighs, grimacing at the word as it falls from his lips, watching as Sungmin’s eyes widen and Henry simply sighs, eyes downcast. Ryeowook sighs too, remembering how they’d stumbled upon the two boys in the first place. “We managed to stumble into an auction not long ago, and those two were both up for sale. We couldn’t just let someone buy children like that, we thought maybe we’d be able to help.”

"I saw the caravan pulling into town when we were up on the northern coast," Ryeowook continues, face looking like he’s got a sour taste on his tongue. "We looked around until we found out where the auction was, I guess it's not as public as it is in the Capitol because it wasn't obvious." He swallows thickly before he continues. "There was another man bidding for them. He was... he had a gleam in his eye, no doubt if he had gotten his filthy hands on them he wouldn't have had them doing labor."

“I can never believe why anyone would want to do that to _children_ ,” Sungmin spits out, eyes narrowing as he wraps an arm around Henry’s shoulders when the younger man’s frown only gets deeper. “As if being in slavery wasn’t bad enough already... it’s a blessing that the two of you were able to help them, then. And it must be the will of Luzo if it brought you back here as well.”

"Thank you," Henry murmurs, smothering down the images of his own days in slavery as they surface to the forefront of his memory, leaning into Sungmin's comforting arms. "You didn't have to help them but you did. Sungmin's right, you two really are a blessing."

Jongwoon shakes his head. "You're wrong, of course we had to help them. Henry, if knowing you has taught me anything it's that you can come out a good person no matter what terrible things happen to you, and you can still come out a terrible person no matter how good your upbringing. If we were able to spare those children the pain of what you had to go through, then it's worth it."

Henry smiles, and opens his mouth to speak again when Minseok and Lu Han come crashing through the kitchen, rolling over each other as they giggle and eventually crash into a cabinet. Ryeowook sighs and looks like he’s used to it, Jongwoon going to pick them up off the floor, but Henry starts laughing uncontrollably, burying his face in Sungmin’s shoulder to try and muffle the sound, Sungmin smiling widely at the boys.

"Looks like we're going to have to build another room," Sungmin chortles as Jongwoon brushes the dirt off of the two boys, making sure they didn't crack their heads open and muttering _we don't need another concussion, okay, let me be the sole keeper of the lumphead title_. "But beds will have to come first, I suppose. Henry and I were on our way out to town anyway."

Minseok blinks curiously up at them at this, tilting his head cutely. "Beds? You mean we get to stay here?" When the four adults smile kindly at him, Henry nodding and explaining to them in his language that this is where they're going to live for now, he breaks out in a big, teary grin. "You really mean it? No more traveling? No more sleeping on the floor?"

"Nope," Sungmin says gently, and Minseok cheers loudly, turning to Lu Han and chattering excitedly in the other language. Lu Han blinks for a minute before it actually hits him that these men are different than the masters they've had in the past, and he can't help but tear up a little. Ryeowook and Jongwoon had been kind to him, but he had a tiny fear all this time that they were taking him somewhere awful. He throws himself at Ryeowook, burying his head in the older man's shirt and cries.

"There there," Ryeowook murmurs softly, rubbing Lu Han's back and looking to Henry for help. Henry soothes the boy, singing his mother's lullaby quietly as Minseok tugs on Jongwoon's pant legs, full of questions and childish enthusiasm, and Sungmin can't help but think to himself how wonderful this feeling is, to see his friends again, and to see them finally happy.

It feels like home.


End file.
